Playgirl Meets Womanizer
by paranoia'SPLASH
Summary: Calling all Playerwards. There's a new chick in town, and her name is Bella Swan. Word is she's a playgirl, and she's got the hots for our resident boy toy. Canon couples, AH.
1. Prologue

Sometimes, there are things that you absolutely _can't _resist. I had a bad reputation as the ultimate bad boy of Forks, but I was willing to change that. I _would _change that. I had to, for Esme's sake. She couldn't bear to see me as this…this player. And I could never disappoint Esme, not after everything she had done for me.

Then I saw her, and everything went out the window.

Her long mahogany hair brushed the base of her ribcage-I got the strangest feeling that she didn't have the guts, or heart, to cut it save for a few mandatory trims. Her eyes, a deep brown that warmed my heart, sparkled amazingly. Her complexion was creamy without being pale and blemish-free. She moved with grace, poise and utter confidence.

She was _gorgeous. _

It was then, right there, that I vowed to make her mine, already forgetting my earlier promise to myself. Standing in my presence was the most beautiful being I had ever seen and I sure as hell wasn't going to let this opportunity was pass without taking full advantage of it. She would and will be mine, now and forever.

She turned suddenly, as if feeling the warmth of my gaze. Her eyes met mine, brown meeting green, and an instant spark flew. I felt almost electrocuted, but at the same time something warm was seeping through my fingertips. There was something between us. It was meant to be. I got up and walked towards her, ignoring the surprised mutters of Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Rose.

If I had known what she had in store for me, I would have turned and fled.


	2. Our Boy's A Player

**Okay, I'm so biting off more than I can chew, what with two stories already in progress, one of which lots of people are reading daily, but I just had this idea stuck in my mind for quite a while and I NEED to get it out before I spontaneously combust! I'm thinking this has a potential to hit 1000+ reviews if I do it right, so I'm going to write it very carefully, but a warning: my first priority is Falling Down and Getting Up II: Black Rose, and this will be sharing priorities with The Man Who Can't Be Moved, so updates won't be so frequent. I'll try, though. Cheers. **

**Story inspired by Flirt by Pussycat Dolls…**

_**You better watch where you're putting those hands,  
You better stop if you're making more plans  
'Coz everything you do makes you look like a fool**_

_**You're looking for some dirt,  
I'm lifting up my skirt  
I'm searching for a light under me in my purse  
You always think the worst,  
I just wanna flirt**_

…**and Womanizer by Britney Spears**

_**Lollipop  
Must mistake me as a sucker  
To think that I  
Would be a victim not another  
Say it, play it how you wanna  
But no way I'm ever gonna fall for you, never you, baby**_

Womanizer, Woman-Womanizer  
You're a womanizer,  
Oh womanizer, Oh you're a womanizer, baby  
You, you, you are  
You, you, you are  
Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer

_Our Boy's A Player_

_Edward_

Another day. Another gloomy, forecast, ominous day, I might add. Plus it was a Sunday. Great. One last day of the weekend and one more day to school. I hated school, I hated going out, and I basically just hated life in general.

It was partly to do with my reputation. Everyone thought of me as this…this scumbag who flirted and picked girls up just to dump them the next day. They didn't get it. None of them. Nobody understood. Not Esme or Carlisle, my adoptive parents, not Emmett or Alice or Jasper and definitely not Rosalie. They just thought the same-that I was an arrogant jerk that deserved a tight slap.

None of them had their parents ripped away from them violently the way I had. Jasper and Rosalie were orphans from birth. They never knew their parents, and they were fraternal twins, so at least they had each other anyway. Emmett's parents had given him up for adoption when he was ten since they were drug abusers, so he was glad to be rid of them, and Alice? She had had a memory loss after a terrible accident so she couldn't remember anything no matter how much she wished she did. Hah. She was lucky.

My parents, Elizabeth and Edward Senior, had died when I was fourteen. A huge fire had gutted our apartment home in Chicago, Illinois. The firefighters had arrived a millisecond too late. My father had thrown me out the window into a thick bush to save me, but the fire claimed them just as they were about to escape. I could remember everything clearly. The screams, the thick, choking smoke...the sense of despair when they never came out. The horrifying, choking loss when I identified their bodies as one of many that had died in the huge inferno.

I had been put up for adoption since I didn't have any family or relatives. That was when Esme and Carlisle had found me. They had already adopted everyone else by then, so I was the newcomer, the seventh wheel. I hated it.

I loved them, of course. I loved the family to bits, but sometimes when I looked back I felt like I was missing out on something in life. And when I hit sixteen, I realized what that was. I was missing out on a mother's love. I knew Esme loved us, of course, but I couldn't help but feel like it wasn't enough. Could a foster mother's love be equivalent to a biological mother's?

So I tried to replace that love. I looked for a substitute. And where better to find the love of a woman than from another girl?

I had experimented with every girl in Forks. None of them were really…satisfying, and so that I wouldn't lead them on, I dropped them immediately. This gesture was misinterpreted by disbelievers, who basically thought of me as a asshole. I never bothered to correct them.

But yesterday I accidentally heard Esme talking to Charlie Swan, the chief of police, when he dropped by to inquire about head fractures since apparently he wanted to know as much as possible about injuries to prepare for his seemingly clumsy daughter. Strange.

I was on my way to raid the fridge-pointless, considering Emmett had probably been there first-when I heard them talking. Actually, it was my name that caught my attention.

"he's been going through a phase…Edward…the girls…" and the rest pretty much trailed off into blank mutterings. I sneaked closer, all thoughts of the potato chips stashed away gone. Charlie was sitting at the couch, looking somewhat awkward. Esme was sitting on the armchair. A steaming cup of coffee was on the table in front.

"Yeah, I can sympthatise," Charlie was saying. "My daughter's been going through pretty much the same thing too. She's been picking up boys at the speed of light." He laughed wryly. "I think I know a fairly good reason why," he added darkly. Esme smiled sadly. I was confused. What in the world was I missing?

"I wish there was a reason I could think of for Edward," Esme sighed, pulling at the hem of her sundress. "I just don't get his behavior. What does he expect to gain from hooking up with girls, I don't know. I'm really at a loss here. If only I could just get a faint understanding _why _he does it."

"Have you had a talk with him yet? About, you know…" Charlie coughed suggestively. Esme laughed in response.

"No," Esme replied. "I think he knows fairly well about _that _aspect of relationships judging by the way he screams after accidentally barging upon Rosalie and Emmett once at night. He bought a promise ring after that. I never mentioned it, but I think he has a general idea of what could happen. Also, I hope to the high heavens I've raised him not to be one of those type."

I grimaced, remembering that awful night. That was the first time I met Emmett and Rose in their…encounters…and hopefully it was my last. Emmett got a lock on the door after that.

Charlie nodded. "Good luck with that, then," he said, thn sighed deeply. "I don't doubt Edward will change. He can and he will. He's a very strong-willed boy," he said, chuckling ominously. I scowled. Did he really have to bring up my little trespassing incident? It was an accident that I entered the moving carnival at midnight! And it sure wasn't my fault I tried to deny everything.

"I just hope my girl will change. She can, but she can be a bit headstrong if she wants to," he confessed. "But I'm sure she'll change. She takes new beginnings very seriously, and I hope her moving here will be a positive change in life."

"Oh, that reminds me," Esme said suddenly. "When is your daughter coming around? I'd like to make her something."

Of course Charlie went on to protest vehemently, and the conversation became boring from then and I left to go to my room.

Fast forward to today. Nine in the morning and I was still thinking of what Esme said while a smaller part of my mind wondered who was the playgirl chick who was Charlie Swan's daughter. No offense to Charlie, but judging from his curly hair, brown eyes and hair and pale complexion, his daughter was sure to be a total flop. What girl could pull off curly hair and fair skin plus having no distinguishing qualities at all? No girl, that was who.

Did Esme honestly believe I was doing this out of _boredom? _God, who the hell would be a player out of boredom? Not me. Definitely not me. Sure as bloody hell not me. I had reasons behind everything I did and this was just one of those many scenarios.

There was only one thing to do, then. I would have to stop my ways, no matter what. Even if it killed me, I would have to stop playing around. I didn't need someone else to love me. Esme loved me enough. What more did I need?

I sighed, stretching on my bed. Well, a sofa bed, actually. I refused to have a bed in my room. A bedframe plus mattress and pillows and blankets…not for me. A sofa bed was so much more efficient. One pull, throw on a few pillows, a thick blanket and you're good to go. I never did bother much with elaborate details.

I rolled over on my stomach and lifted my pillow. Glinting under it was a gold photo frame, nothing elaborate, just a thin gold snake that basically formed the frame's shell. Wedged in it was a photo of my parents.

It had been taken a week after my tenth birthday. I was stuffed tightly between both of them, looking extremely ecstatic. Inscripted on it was _Elizabeth, Edward Senior and Edward. We'll always be with you._

_We'll always be with you…_what a joke! They had left me. Okay, not deliberately, but still. They had abandoned me in this world and this time. Some parents they were. I was suddenly flooded with a huge burst of anger. At me, at Esme and Carlisle, at my parents, at everybody.

And, even more suddenly, I felt a pang of sadness. They _were _here for me, I thought, embarrassed. Sometimes, when I stare at the clouds too long, I tend to see their faces. I can make out their noses, their eyes, their hair, and that ridiculous plaid cap Dad adores. Most of all, they're smiling. And if they were happy, that was good enough for me.

"I'm not a baby," I muttered to myself quietly. "I'm not a freakin' baby and I don't need girls to validate myself," I said again, louder this time. I nodded firmly. That was my post-New Year's Resolution-which, incidentally, was to stop stealing Emmett's food. I broke it at approximately two hours after midnight.

I hopped up from the bed and stomped to the bathroom, repeating the whole way, "Not a baby, not a baby, not a baby." Emmett poked his head out of his room, grinning at me.

"Well, taking the whole rebellion thing a bit too far, aren't you?" he asked. I glared at him, continuing my trek and leaving him behind singing rude songs about me. Childish.

"Not a baby," I said for the last time firmly. I shut the bathroom door and stared at myself in the glossy mirror. Though I _was _curious to see what that apparent playgirl looked like…WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

"NOT A BABY!" I screamed at myself.

"Eddie boy needs his diaper change," Emmett explained to Esme outside.

**Yes, an abrupt ending, I know, but I didn't know how else to end it! Reviews appreciated!**


	3. My Not So Little Girl

**Reviewers much loved! Reviewers get a cupcake with Edward-flavored frosting with a tiny Bella sugar figurine! I'll even throw in Carlisle-and-Esme-flavored ones too!**

_Our Not So Little Girl_

_Bella_

I packed my bags slowly, folding my clothes meticulously. I didn't need Renée on my case demanding why the branded clothes she had bought for me were crumpled up. Hah. If only she knew I was planning to ditch the expensive threads in favor for plain clothes once I was on the plane. I couldn't stand the attention the designer clothes brought. It was as bad as screaming out Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in the middle of the airport, if not worse. Don't get me wrong. I loved my mother dearly, but sometimes, her concepts of 'cool' were just…not.

Why was I such a pushover? If I had just stood up to Renée, just this once, I would be on the way to Jacksonville with my harebrained mother and Phil, her new beau. I would be relaxing on a nice lounge chair with the sun tanning my paler-than-pale skin, giving me a crass sunburn, but still. But no. Since I had the guts of a mouse, I would be on a plane to Port Angeles, a little tourist trap, where I would then meet my father who would bring me to a place wetter than the ocean itself.

But despite my qualms, I knew I had to go. Renée and Phil needed to spend some quality time together. Their first honeymoon was cut short due to a volcano eruption warning-honestly, who in the world chooses to have a honeymoon near one of the most active volcano in the world?-and quality time wasn't about to happen if I kept hanging around them like a moth near a light. Which was why I now needed to go to the small town of Forks.

Charlie was a sweet, considerate man who had passed on several distinguishing qualities to me-the albino-like skin, for one, and the easy blushes-but I hated going to Forks. I despised Forks. And not just because of the daily showers, either. I despised Forks because once, long ago, I had lived there. Before The Divorce. The big split.

I was born in Forks, a few months after the holy matrimony of Charlie and Renée Swan, the joining of two souls, aka the big wedding. It was actually a shotgun wedding. Apparently my mum and dad had gotten in some play while they were dating and when Renée found out they just had to get married even though my grandparents would be furious. Which they were. Renée's parents promptly disowned her. Grandma Swan, though, was understanding enough, considering she had married Grandpa under similar circumstances.

I hated Forks because, once, I had a sister there.

Her name was Renesmee. She was a year younger than me. She looked almost exactly like me except that she had inherited Renée's skin instead, making her look like a tan version of me. Also, her hair was straight as a pin. We were extremely close. We ate together, walked together, and played together.

Charlie and Renée's marriage lasted four years despite Renée's dislike for Forks and its rain. I was slightly older than four then, and Renesmee was three. One night, Renée got into a huge fight with Charlie for some absurd reason. They had a huge blow-up over it and two hours after that, Renée stormed out of the house, bags in one hand and me in the other. I was screaming, wanting Renesmee to come along to wherever we were going, but Renée told me she would fetch Renesmee later.

She never did fetch Renesmee. Sometimes I wondered if she ever truly loved Renesmee. She always seemed to favor me more, dressing me up in designer baby togs and the works. Renesmee never minded. She thought parents loved their kids equally. I did, too, until Renée failed to take Renesmee with her.

Three years later, I was living in Phoenix with Renée, a single mum, in a shabby apartment that was infected with termites and all sorts of assorted beetles. I was terrified of the house though Renée kept telling me to suck it up. I knew she hated the place too but she was just too proud to admit that she had really messed it up this time.

I was seven then when Charlie suddenly called home. It was strange, since Charlie only called every Tuesdays and Fridays. Even then he refused to speak to Renée, only talking to me if I answered the phone and hanging up if it wasn't me that answered. Charlie called on a Wednesday, and when Renée picked up, they spoke to each other in hushed tones. I was puzzled as to who the person Renée was talking to was.

Renée handed me the phone then, and I realized it was Charlie. He was crying. That shocked me. He told me, very quietly, that Nessie had been attacked by a deranged dog and was in the hospital in a coma. I was terrified.

I kept begging Renée to let us visit, just this once, but Renée kept telling me she was broke and couldn't afford it. I told her to ask Charlie to pay, but she refused to risk her pride for her daughter. I couldn't believe it.

A week later, it was Monday and Charlie called to tell us Renesmee had died and he was flying us home.

I remember the funeral vaguely. I remember a white coffin with gold embellishments, incredibly small and elegant. I don't know if I ever looked inside. I don't think I would have held myself together if I saw Nessie looking ravaged and pale. But then again, wouldn't it be worse if I saw her pretty and smiling, the way she always was? As if nothing had changed. As if she had merely picked up and left us. Left Forks, left Charlie, left Renée…left me.

Renée told me she was in a better place. And as I grew, I realized that the 'better place' was hopefully up there and not from the opposite direction. But even now I can't help hoping that just maybe the better place was in Mexico or Jamaica, and one day I'd see her again.

I sat down on the edge of my bed, the folded clothes forgotten. A single salty tear streaked down my cheek. I missed Renesmee, more than I missed anything else in the world.

In Phoenix I had a reputation for being _the _girl. The flirt, the playgirl. I was going to change all that. I had lived behind the mask too long. There was something about living behind someone you're not that's very reassuring. Like you could create the perfect illusion and nobody could find the cracks. That was my illusion. The perfect flirt. Some illusion that was. I always had a few people gossiping about my bitchiness.

I was tired of looking for love in all the wrong places. I didn't need a man to validate myself. Nessie was looking out for me, and that was all I needed. As long as I never forgot her, she would be telling me what to do and protecting me from all the right dangers.

What better place to remake myself than in Forks? A new place, a new start. And who knew? Maybe I would like it better than I anticipated. Though if it rained more than one time a day I would kill myself.

"Bella? You done up there?" Renée's soft, dreamy voice floated up the stairs.

"Yeah, coming," I shouted back. I stood up and looked around. The room was bare. Everything heavy and I insisted on bringing had long been shipped to Forks. Only my excruciatingly light luggage was left. I only had two medium-sized duffel bags. I didn't exactly have a whole closetful of clothes I could pack, and hopefully I would never have enough clothes to fill more than three bags. **(AN: hah! Wait till she meets Alice.)**

I hoisted the bags over my shoulder and took a quick check in the mirror. I was wearing jeans, a tee and a simple but efficient jacket. No need to dress up if the clothes were going to be ruined by rain anyway. I headed down the stairs carefully-my clumsiness was heightened when I was carrying heavy objects-and dumped the bags out near the car.

Phil was lounging on top of the car, lying on the boot like one of those bikini models you see for cheesy calendars. Only in this case, instead of a bikini-clad Brazilian model with tan skin and gorgeous eyes, it was Phil, a minor-league baseball player with messy blonde hair, blue eyes and a tendency to impersonate the most random people. I liked him. He was sensible enough to keep Renée out of trouble. At least he never left his keys in the salad, unlike a certain person.

He grinned at me, flashing perfect teeth save one tiny chipped tooth he had earned by somehow knocking himself in the jaw while pitching. And they called me clumsy. "Hey, there, Bells. Big day, huh?" he greeted me. I smiled.

"No kidding," I answered, leaning down to retie my laces. Phil adjusted his baseball cap to a jauntier angle.

"I'm going to miss you, kiddo," he said nonchalantly. "It's sure going to be boring without someone to catch when she trips." I straightened up and scowled at him.

"You have Mom," I pointed out. "That's a big enough responsibility."

"True, true," Phil conceded, smirking at me. "But you're the main course. How can someone fall while standing perfectly still, anyway?"

I laughed. "Takes a lot of skill," I said in mock authority. "And I should know, I have enough skill to not just injure myself but a load of people along with me. The FBI should hire me. Forget guns, I could probably take down hundreds of people if they arm me with a baseball bat."

Phil laughed boisterously as Renée came huffing out of the house, holding the keys in one hand. I squinted at her. "Mom? Why are the keys coated in mayonnaise?"

"Don't ask," she warned, sliding into the passenger seat. Phil laughed, getting off the car and chucked my bags into the backseat, not bothering to open the boot.

"Take care of that one," I told him, a lump rising in my throat. He patted my back and opened the door for me with a flourish.

"I will," he reassured me before walking over to the driver's side. Renée was spouting nonsense about plane regulations and weight of luggage as Phil assured her that my bags barely weighed half of her.

I stared out the window, watching the familiar Phoenix landscape flash by. This was my home. Could I really uproot and leave it, just like that? Was I capable of that?

The answer was pretty clear. Yes. Yes, I could, and I had to.

I sighed. Forks had better have some interesting people.


	4. My Bizarre Family

**Thanks for the reviews! Because of them, I'll update even faster than usual. :D And by the way, Bella arrives at Forks on Sunday, but she attends school on Monday because she doesn't want to stay at home bored. Typical Bella. Each chapter will progress this way: Edward POV, Bella POV, Edward POV, Bella POV, and so on and so forth, and each two chapters will be the same day. So the previous two chapters are both on Sunday, and this chapter and the one after will be on Monday, but not necessarily the same time. I'll see. **

**And to CourtneyHale, I'm so happy someone finally noticed that!! I'm trying to make both POVs sound different, and I'm trying to get Edward to sound more boyish and player-ish the way I imagine he would think, and I'm writing Bella as…well, Bella. Falling down and looking gorgeously groomed without even knowing it. So do tell me if I'm not writing properly!**

_My Bizarre Family_

_Edward_

Before long it was Monday and Alice, the adorable, chipper pixie she was, was jumping on my bed in a futile attempt to wake me up. Only one thing and one thing only could wake me up-the smell of food cooking. Usually Esme's French toast would do, but today she was frying up eggs with gooey cheese and little crispy turkey bacon bits, so I woke up even before Alice could enter my room. Honestly, I could never see what Jasper saw in her. She was too bouncy for her own good. Though she was a great sister.

I took a quick shower and dressed in five minutes, and plodded downstairs only to be chased up again by a furious Alice, screaming at me about proper attire. Jeez, I was wearing a perfectly decent tee and jeans! What was wrong with that girl?

See, that was why I refused to have a long-term relationship. Girls, especially Alice and Rosalie, were _waay _too fussy about their clothes. I never managed to understand it, and I didn't pretend to.

Alice was an unstoppable force of nature, though. She managed to get me dressed in a grey V-neck and khaki pants. At least she allowed me to wear my Converses. Somehow I only thought that she allowed the shoes because it was the only item in my wardrobe with an iota of fashion.

"Wow, Esme, I love you," I yawned, sliding into one of the chairs. Esme set a steaming plate of eggs in front of me, smiling. I felt a pain stab through my heart. How could I have thought she didn't love me the way Mom did? How stupid could I be?

"Aw, sweetie, thanks. You have to hurry up though, else you'll be late. We all got up slightly later than usual today," Esme said, winking at me. I laughed, digging into the eggs, sending more steam curling up.

Alice skipped into the kitchen. Of course, she was fully dressed and perfectly coiffed. She grabbed a plate of eggs and sat down next to me. She had the appetite of Emmett and Jasper put together, and yet she still managed to maintain her tiny figure. Jasper said it was high metabolism. I think it's all that nervous energy.

Jasper came in right behind her, the way he always was. He leaned against the counter. He never ate on mornings. It was a strange habit of his. He only ate at lunch. Esme was trying to discourage him, but so far her attempts were in vain. I had the feeling she would never be able to convince Jasper to start eating breakfasts.

Emmett came in next, yawning hugely and ruffling his hair, which fell into place immediately. I envied his hair. It always fell flat. Superglue couldn't keep my hair down.

"Where's Rose?" Esme asked, frowning. Strange. Usually Rosalie was the first down. Emmett was always the last. Trying to get Emmett to wake up any time before seven was like trying to wake the dead.

"Hold your horses, I'm coming!" Rosalie shouted from the stairs. Carlisle yelled at her from his study. He despised people screaming in his house. He said it sounded like we were hooligans. We never pointed out to him he screamed in the house more than we did.

Rose sauntered into the kitchen. Alice gasped. Jasper froze. Emmett's eyes bugged open. And Esme screamed.

"Rosalie Hale _Cullen_! What on earth are you _wearing_?!" Esme shrieked, her hands flying to her mouth. I started laughing. Talk about a madhouse. This place was like a Macy's with a huge SALE sign. Utter madness.

Of course, like women rushing into shops and causing stampedes, sometimes I never really understood what was going on.

"Rosalie! That outfit is…is…" Esme was spluttering now, at a loss for words.

"Scandalous? Racy? Completely insane?" I suggested. Emmett shot a death glare at me. Obviously he would think it was hot, but jeez, this was my sister's boyfriend's sister! Which made her my sister-in-law-to-be. If I said she looked drop dead gorgeous, which she did, that would make me almost incestuous.

"I think it's hot," Alice quipped. Now, see, that was plain scary.

"Rosalie! Go and change into something more…more appropriate! You are going to school, not to pick up guys!" Esme ordered.

Emmett smacked his fist into one hand. "I'll deck any guy who tried," he said ominously.

"Emmett, Rosalie's picking up guys, not the other way around," Jasper pointed out. Emmett aimed a very accurate kick Down Under. Jasper winced. "And that was completely unnecessary," he squeaked. Alice ignored them. Filial girlfriend, I had to say.

"But Esme, I have to get dressed up!" Rosalie protested.

"Dressed up for what? Hook up night?" Esme demanded. Rosalie grimaced.

"No…" she said slowly. "The new kid at school. We don't know if it's a he or she…yet."

Esme turned and started hitting her head on the cupboard. After two repetitions she mumbled, "Dear God," and turned. "Rosalie, the new kid is a _girl. _She's Charlie Swan's daughter, and if you go to school like that, you might convince her to move back home."

"Or turn her lesbian, whichever comes first," Alice added brightly. I threw a glance at her. She was really scaring me with the words popping out of her mouth. Since when did my baby sister have this side to her?

Esme glared at Alice. "Eat," she warned dangerously. Alice grabbed her fork. I put my plate in the sink and washed it. Our dishwasher got spoiled about a week ago and Esme hadn't had the time to shop for a new one. Though Alice would gladly do it for her. Knowing her, though, she would probably get a five thousand-dollar one with crystals and Gucci stamped on it.

"Darn," Rosalie muttered. "It would've been good to see Emmett pound his face." Then she brightened up. "But Mr Womanizer over here can do his magic and I get to see Emmett pound Edward's face!"

"Encouraging, Rosalie," I said to her. "What a nice way to praise your brother." Rosalie stuck out her tongue at me.

"Fine. I'll go change," Rosalie mumbled, stomping upstairs. The stairs made a strange sound. I couldn't say _creak, _because marble didn't creak, but it sure sounded something like it. Her heels were going to snap, and good riddance to bad rubbish. Heels, like shopping, were beyond my forte.

I turned to leave as everyone filed out, but Esme called me back. "Edward?" she asked, almost…tentatively. I turned and looked at her expectantly.

"Yeah?"

She bit her lip. "I hate to have to say this, but…I know your ways with girls, and I should tell you, this new girl will be fairly good-looking. I've seen her picture, and I know you'll be attracted to her. Hell, what decent boy wouldn't be attracted to her?"

I was getting antsy. I could hear Rosalie come back down and I wanted a ride in her M3. It was better than riding in Emmett's Jeep. My car was under repair. The stupid engine decided to give way while I was swerving to avoid some stray pedestrian.

"What are you trying to say, Esme?" I asked.

Esme inhaled. "What I'm saying is, don't try anything with this girl. She's not someone you should mess with. If you try anything, I'm sure not only her but you will get hurt. Edward, I don't want this to go in one ear and out the other. Listen to me. Do not do anything stupid with her. She is not just another girl. Do you hear me?"

I nodded, shifting my weight. "Right. Don't play with her. Charlie would probably go after me with a shotgun anyway," I said. "That all?"

Esme nodded and I dashed out of the kitchen. I slid into Rosalie's car while it was moving. Jasper and Alice were already driving in the Jeep. Jasper adored that car.

"Nice of you to wait," I grumbled. Emmett was sitting behind. He grinned at me.

"Why, you have legs, don't you?" he put on a faux accent. "Or did you forget to use them?"

"Very funny, Emmett," I said, rolling my eyes. Emmett was so childish.

"Anyway, what did Esme want?" he asked curiously. I paused.

"Huh. I can't remember," I admitted, searching through my mind. All I remembered was that I had wanted to get out of there so that I could hitch a ride with Rose. Huh. My memory was going. I needed to see a doctor, ASAP.

"Getting old already, Eddie?" Emmett teased. I ignored him, looking out instead as Rosalie drove to school. The scenery flashed by quickly. I was still trying to remember what Esme had said. I sighed. Impatience did a lot to one's memory.

School was going to be boring. I wanted to see that girl. Who knows, she could well be my next conquest.

**Well, that goes to show Edward's memory! His disability to remember while feeling impatient will come into play later in the story, so don't forget! And next chapter will be our own Bells! Picture of Rosalie's…uh, scandalous outfit is on my profile. Cheers.**


	5. The Noisy Silence

**I really need some help. I have a very high expectation for the number of reviews for this story, so please, please, PLEASE review! There's a lot of people subscribing to alerts and viewing but less are reviewing, so do review! And to those reviewing, thanks a lot and do keep reading my story. And note: it's Monday.**

_The Noise Silence_

_Bella_

Forks was exactly as I expected it to be. Lots of trees and grass, lots of rain, and hardly anybody worth attention. There was one strange lady at the airport at Port Angeles wearing oversized sunglasses and a bright pink scarf, but that was it. And the lady took a cab so I was depraved of my people watching experience.

Charlie looked exactly the same. His curly brown hair, the same color, if not texture, of mine, I had inherited. The eyes I had inherited as well. I had long learned that all my genetic flaws I had gotten from my dad here.

I leaned back and thought about my arrival…

.xXx.

He took in my plain jeans and shirt with some surprise, and was even more surprised when my single bag came careening on the belt. I rolled my eyes. Obviously dear Mom had clued him in on my…ah, past, and apparently he was expecting something more outlandish. Who did he think I was anyway, some brainless bimbo? C'mon, I make straight As for my classes except anything involving numbers, and even that I'm scoring Bs. Did he honestly believe I was a giggling, ohmigod type?

If he did believe that, I swear I was moving to Jacksonville ASAP.

"Hey, Bells," he said finally, breaking out into a huge grin. "Still the brown-eyed, pale girl I remember, only a lot taller."

I smirked. "Not _that _much taller," I pointed out, noting the five-inch height difference between me and his _chin. _Was he supposed to even keep growing?!

Charlie laughed, picking up the bag and hoisting it over his shoulder. We strode out of the airport, which was basically deserted. After all, it was a small-town airport. It was so different from the Phoenix airport, where it was literally packed with people and you had to know some pretty advanced karate to be able to get through.

It was mostly silent on the way to…home now, I guess. We made some generic comments about weather (rainy), my hair (longer and lighter than before), people (Billy would be coming for dinner), and then the meandering conversation trailed off with a lack of conversation topics.

.xXx.

I sighed. It was like noisy silence, it was. To anybody listening it would seem like an uncomfortable dead silence, but to me and my dad it was jam packed full of unsaid words. For example, there was one turning in which he was wondering why I wasn't dressed like…uh, a bimbo, and I knew he got the message: I WASN'T A BIMBO.

Jeez. If this was the reputation I was going to chalk up-a bimbo wannabe-I was so not staying here. It would be a complete waste of time.

I stared around at the bedroom. It was a decent size, not too tiny but not ridiculously spacious either like the rooms back home. It had a relatively low ceiling. If I jumped on my bed my head would bump against the criss-crossing beams. There was one single window wider than both my hands stretched out, the window tightly shut against the onslaught of storms day after day.

My old furniture was still here. My old rocking chair rested against one wall, and my small wardrobe was still there, tainted a faint blue and pink from crayon drawings Charlie had managed to scrub off using a lot of bleach, judging by the faded varnish.

There were a few changes, though. The crib had been replaced by a bed decked in plain white sheets, and a desk and a computer had been added, courtesy of Renée's violent insists that I was to stay in contact with her unless a crisis hit. I wondered if a particularly bad storm snapping the modem wires counted as disaster enough.

I sighed. Forks was boring. Too much trees and too much wet caused a very bored Bella. I rolled over on my side and looked at the clock. Three in the morning. Today I was to go to school and meet my future neighbours. I wasn't psyched about it. Why would I be? Everyone was the same. There would be the head bimbo, second-in-charge, the nerds, the geeks, and the group of people that stuck to their straight-A group. Everywhere I went it would stay the same.

I rolled off the bed and got on the floor. The board creaked ever so slightly and I froze before padding out to the tiny square-like junction. There were three doors. One led to the bathroom, the second to Charlie's room and the third to my room. It was none of these I wanted to go to.

I walked down the stairs, carefully avoiding the creaky board. The house was pitch black. I kept imagining white figures popping out at me and screaming 'Boo!'. But of course that wouldn't happen. It was just my overactive imagination getting the best of me again.

I crept along the short hallway. At one end was the front door, the other the living room, where I was in. The living room had two doors adjoined to it, the kitchen…and Reneesme's bedroom.

I paused at the washed pink door. My brain was screaming at me, 'danger! Painful emotions ahead!' yet I kept going. I pushed the door open. A strong smell wafted out. A stale scent of baby oil and dust. I hesitated and went in.

The room was smaller than mine, with only a small baby cot at one end and a dresser cum diaper changing thing at the opposite end. There was a small round green table and two green stools alongside it, and plastered along the walls were various scribbles and drawings done in crayon.

Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust. Charlie hadn't been in here for a long time.

My eyes started burning the minute I looked at the cot. Lying on the pillow was a little rag doll. It was a pretty, typical doll with blonde hair and blue eyes, but it had gotten anorexic once when Renesmee accidentally tore it against a stray nail.

I had to get out. I ran out of the room and shut the door and fled upstairs, flying past the room and throwing myself on my bed. I lay there for a few minutes, breathless and wave after wave of sadness crushing me, burying me under.

Renesmee…

A single tear leaked out of one eye. Soon I was crying my heart out on the pillow, the tears soaking everything and drowing whatever could be drowned. Renesmee. How I missed her. I missed her, so, so much. More than I missed and loved anything in the world.

She couldn't be dead. She couldn't.

Yet she was, and I had to deal with that. She was dead and she had left me here, alone.

How naïve could I be? Renesmee had left, and I was stuck on plain Earth set to self-destruct within a million years. What fantastic luck I had.

I swallowed tears back, flipping my pillow over so that I could lie on the dry side. I had school in three hours approximately. School was a distraction. School would help. School was _heaven. _

It was then that I realized I needed boys. I needed them like a match needed a flame. I would never be fully functional, I would never be able to live up to what I was supposed to be, unless I had a boy to light me up. But like a match, I could settle for being plain and boring. I could.

And who knew? Maybe one day I would find someone who would light me up forever. A good flame. But for now, Renesmee and Charlie were my flame and they would do. They had done lots of things for me for so long I could manage a year of makeshift flame. Then I would go off to college and I would meet some interesting people. There sure weren't anybody interesting here from the looks of it.

I sighed and closed my eyes. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, one thought was bouncing around in my mind.

_Nessie, I miss you. A lot. _

And then I fell asleep.


	6. Fireworks, Emmett!

**Well, you guys should be proud! I have now made this story my second most important story (the first being FD&GU II, of course.). To those who liked The Man Who Can't Be Moved, I'm sorry, but I really have lost inspiration. Details are in the AN. But for now, this chapter will be called Fireworks, Emmett! Because, well, this is the meeting of Bella and Edward. And of course Emmett will love it. Enjoy.**

_Fireworks, Emmett! _

_Edward_

Ugh. Who in the world decided to invent the concept of _torture? _Because really, there wasn't exactly anything worse than having to sit in a cramped, overcrowded, stuffy room because some smart person decided to set fire to Building 2. I really hoped the authority caught up with that prick. He was pissing me off. First flooding the toilets, now arson? Really, he needed to get a life. No doubt it was the same vandal, the modus operandi was precisely the same. Do whatever it was he wanted to during the night and let the school find it in the daytime. What a coward.

Thanks to Emmett getting tangled in a mess involving him distracting Rosalie and the front of the car getting dented, we were late to school. Thankfully Rose worked her magic on the car. The paint job still looked bruised, though, and Emmett sulked in the back as Rose drove to school.

And since I had found a scramble of students wondering where to go on account of the fire instead of teachers waiting to pounce on any latecomers, it was easy to blend into the crowd and pretend I had been on time. As if the teachers would have noticed regardless; I could almost _taste _the confusion.

Well, this was a fine impression to make for the new girl. Welcome to Forks High, home of the Stallions-and oh, yeah, a sick vandal that goes around setting fire to anything combustible. She was going to love this place…if she was a sadistic, egoistical moron like yours truly.

Not that I was sadistic, but I sure was a moron for hitching a ride with Emmett and Rosalie. But then again, the alternative-Alice and Jasper-would be just as bad.

See, this was why I urgently needed my car back. I was always the wet blanket. Better to sulk by myself than revel in others making out in my presence. Disgusting.

Finally the teachers managed to sort out the scrummage and that was how I ended up sitting in this lousy room in Building 4 with fifty other people cramped in a room that used to be a _janitor's lounge. _The school administration really didn't organize worst-case scenarios very well. What would happen if the school collapsed due to a building malfunction? Would we be sitting in the police station listening to lectures on no drugs and all that?

I grimaced at the image. The teacher glowered at me. "Is there a problem, Cullen?" he asked brusquely. I shook my head and he continued his incoherent mumbling.

How did teachers become teachers? Did they have to take an impatience potency test or something? Every teacher I knew were either impatient, stubborn or just thick. And they called themselves educators. Hah.

I didn't get a chance to see the girl the first few periods, though Rose and Alice had spotted her in English and had described her as 'mindblowingly beautiful'. They must be coming down with something. How could Charlie Swan-the grumpy, plain police chief-have a 'mindblowingly beautiful' daughter? Either Charlie's wife was a supermodel or my sisters were just exaggerating.

I preferred to believe the latter. If Charlie Swan could clinch a supermodel, the sun rose on the west and the Earth would stop revolving around on its axis.

Lunch came too soon and Alice couldn't stop rambling about _her_. It was really pissing me off and I was about to explode at her. Thank God Rose lost it first, or I would've done something Jasper would murder me for.

"Damn, Ali, would you shut up about the girl? I know she's drop dead gorgeous, but you don't exactly have to keep mentioning it every three words!"

Rosalie had a temper to rival that of St Helen's. Alice was unfazed. "Touchy, are we? I just thought it would be appropriate to warn Edward so that he doesn't jump her at first sight. That wouldn't be pleasant, you know?"

I rolled my eyes. Just because Alice had stumbled on me with another girl-Jane, I believe it was-didn't mean I was some sex-deprived, horny teenager. Plus I had already promised myself not to continue with my ways. Everyone started laughing when I said that.

"Yeah, right, Eddie," Emmett said. "I bet you'll last a week."

"Two days," Jasper jumped in.

Alice laughed. "Five minutes!" she half-screamed, half-giggled. I stared at her, my jaw dropping. Who was she _kidding? _

"Thanks so much for the vote of confidence, guys," I said, sarcasm dripping. They just howled harder. What did I do to get stuck with such a family?

And then I saw her.

Her long mahogany hair brushed the base of her ribcage-I got the strangest feeling that she didn't have the guts, or heart, to cut it save for a few mandatory trims. Her eyes, a deep brown that warmed my heart, sparkled amazingly. Her complexion was creamy without being pale and blemish-free. She moved with grace, poise and utter confidence.

She was _gorgeous. _

Now I knew what beauty meant. She wasn't just beautiful, she _was _beauty in its raw form.

God, they were right. She was an angel from Heaven. I sure as hell needed her. Now.

A dim voice in the back of my head whispered about the promise I had reminded myself about barely five seconds ago, but I brushed it off. This was a golden ticket. If I didn't take it, then I would live to regret that decision.

She turned suddenly, as if feeling the warmth of my gaze. Her eyes met mine, brown meeting green, and an instant spark flew. I felt almost electrocuted, but at the same time something warm was seeping through my fingertips. There was something between us. It was meant to be. I got up and walked towards her, ignoring the surprised mutters of Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Rose.

I thought I heard something along the lines of, "I win!" from Alice, but I ignored it and kept going. There was practically an electric charge between us that got stronger with each step I took. My knees literally shook. _Crap, Edward, what's wrong with you? _

Her perfectly groomed eyebrows rose skeptically when I was about four arms length away. I stifled a grin. She was just so adorable. I hesitated half a beat before smiling at her.

"Hi. You must be the new girl. I'm Edward…uh, Cullen." _Suave, Edward. Way to make her think you're a charming guy. What's with the name?!_

She smiled at me charmingly. Damn, she was hot. "Nice to meet you, Edward Uh Cullen." I narrowed my eyes. "I'm Bella Swan. Now, if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be."

And then she walked off, leaving me behind. At the door, she turned ever so slightly to look at me and wink. I swear she almost made me faint.

I stumbled back to the table, feeling as if she had rammed me over with Emmett's monster Jeep. I probably would've been in a better state if she had.

"That was interesting," Jasper remarked, scrutinizing my face. I looked up.

"Very," I agreed, taking a bite of the salad.


	7. Oops, I Did It Again

**Yes, the title of this chapter is based after THE Britney Spears song. And I am soo sick of maths. Really. My teacher is nice and all, but he moves too fast for my taste. **

_Oops, I Did It Again_

_Bella_

Wow. Forks High School was _so _interesting. Fascinating, even. I simply _adored _the place.

Note the sarcasm?

In all fairness, Forks High wasn't that bad. It was just the same. It was the same as Forks. Green, wet, lots of plants, green, plain and boring buildings…did I mention green? Yeah, it was green. Terribly, awfully so. Every other colour was completely overpowered by the monarchy of GREEN.

Jeez. My official hate colour was now GREEN.

The ride to school wasn't particularly pleasant, either. Charlie had turned the cruiser sirens off, but even then the car alone stood out glaringly. I really needed a car of my own, ASAP. I'd walk to school if there was no other way. Despite my…status, I despised attention.

I was greeted with quite a lot of fanfare. The receptionist at the counter stared at me, the students stared at me, the teachers stared at me. Needless to say I did _not _feel comfortable in my own skin. I wished I could just melt into the background.

There were this two girls that stood out. One was a tall, model-esque blonde, the other this short girl with black spiky hair. Both of them were _gorgeous. _From a few snippets of conversation, I found out the short girl was Alice, the tall one Rosalie. Somehow I thought that despite their looks they were actually pretty sweet, but I didn't get the chance to get to know them, so maybe my judgement was wrong.

Classes dragged and I was really thankful when lunch came. Sure I'd have to sit alone-damn-but at least I could take a break from the teachers rambling nonstop the past five hours. It was giving me a monster headache.

I sighed, not bothering to drag a filthy tray to pick out greasy food. I plucked a lemonade from the various bottles of Diet Coke, Coke Light and Coke Zero-really, how many versions of Coke could they make?-and went over to the first empty table I saw that was also far enough. Sadly, it was also the closest to the door, so each time it opened I felt a draft.

I huffed slightly as the door opened for the fifteenth time. Jeesh this place sucked. The next person to use those doors would get a fist in their face. I didn't care what knuckle headed promise I had made to myself, people should not be allowed to keep using a door that was clearly in front of a table, which, for all they knew, could be where a bunch of VIPs were eating at. If Barack Obama ate here, he would probably get a fit before using the BlackBerry he wasn't supposed to use to call the school administration.

Now, wouldn't that be interesting?

I sighed, unscrewing the cap of the lemonade. I took a long swig from it while looking around the cafeteria. I felt the door open again, the cool wind hitting my back and working its way up my semi-thin shirt. I gritted my teeth and turned to whack the crap out of the unlucky person.

I froze while turning. It was that family. The family that everyone had been gushing about to me and I had happily ignored, thinking it was just exaggeration of bored small-town people.

Walking in front was the model blonde, Rosalie. Of course she would lead the pack; she exuded grace and confidence with every step she took, which looked like soft, gliding movements. Walking closely behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist was a tall boy…or man, really. He had the thick, beefy body of a wrestler, yet seemed to look wiry and slim at the same time. His face was childish, his grin reminding me of Charlie. I snickered.

Behind them was the pixie girl. Alice, obviously. She was walking next to a tall blonde boy/man. They weren't touching at all, though they were so obviously a couple. They kept looking at each other in this manner that was neither soppy or gushing but just plain, raw love. They looked so right together, though the height difference made it kind of weird.

The last guy took my breath away. He came in about seven steps behind, and looked slightly peeved. Judging by the sweat that sparkled on his forehead, his previous class had been in Building 2. Mine was supposed to be, but luckily I got assigned to the computer room instead. I heard the other classes weren't as lucky.

He slid into the same table as the rest of his family. The first twins-Rosalie and the other blonde guy-came to the table holding five different trays. I blinked. Talk about family courtesy. This family was really something.

I rolled my eyes and finished the lemonade. Okay, fine. There was one family in Forks worth observing. That didn't make me like this place one bit more. I still missed Mom, and I began to wonder what she was doing now. Knowing her, it was probably some harebrain idea like hang-gliding.

I got up to throw the empty glass bottle in the recycling bin-unlike some people, I did care about the environment. I never understood why humans refused to recycle. For goodness' sake, it was our planet too. What's so difficult about chucking your rubbish in a different bin?

I walked quickly. I wanted to get out of the place quickly, plus the wind was seriously pissing me off. If I could, I would hit it.

Somewhere on my way to the darn door out, I felt something warm burning into my back. Great. Now my front was cold and suddenly my back was on fire. I turned to see who was holding a match to my back.

It was that guy. The bronze-haired, pale-skinned, emerald-eyed boy. My own personal Greek God. He was staring at me in this really focused manner, like he was trying to equate the square root of every number in the universe.

He got up suddenly and walked over to me. I hesitated, hovering in my tracks. He _looked _harmless enough…still, I wouldn't hesitate testing my crotch-kicking skills out if he tried anything remotely funny. I think it had gotten a little rusty.

He walked slowly but deliberately. My eyebrows shot up. Now this was one collected guy. He didn't fawn or anything. My impressions of him was going sky-high.

"Hi. You must be the new girl," he said softly.

_Oh my God. His voice is amazing. _

That was the irrational part of my brain. The rational part was thinking, _Yes, I'm the new girl. Yes, I'm Charlie's daughter. No, it's Bella, not Isabella. _

If this conversation went like _that_, I was so outta here.

"I'm Edward…uh, Cullen." His cheekbones flushed lightly, dusting his cheeks with a slight tinge of pink. Man, I loved it when a guy blushed.

_Wait, what the hell? _

I bit my lip and smiled at him. He wobbled a little. Okay, he was like every other hormonal teenage boy, wobbling at smiles. He was still drop-dead gorgeous, though. Even a blind man could tell. "Nice to meet you, Edward Uh Cullen," I said politely. I couldn't help adding the middle name in. It was too tempting.

"I'm Bella Swan. Now, if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be." And I really did. I was still in front of that stupid door, and the cold was getting to me. I really needed a sweater. Now.

I turned and trudged out of the room, trying to pace myself so I didn't look too eager to escape. I felt his indignant stare boring into my back.

At the door, I couldn't help turning to grin and wink at him. He was staring at me like some goldfish frozen in place. I almost laughed at loud at his expression-mouth open, eyes wide. Could anything be any more funny?

I left the cafeteria and stood in the bitter cold of the outside. The trees had frozen bits of ice on it. It was that cold already? I made a mental note to bring a sweater tomorrow.

I slowly walked to my next class, wary of the slippery floor. I wasn't playing with Edward. I wasn't playing with Edward. I wasn't playing with Edward. I kept repeating that to myself as a sort of mantra. I wasn't. I wasn't. I wasn't. It was just harmless chatting.

Yet somehow, I doubted myself.


	8. Upside Inside Out

**So sorry for not updating! Here's the next chapter!**

_Upside Inside Out_

_Edward._

_Tuesday_

"Umph," I grunted, rolling over and stuffing my face into something soft I recognized dimly as my pillow. My obnoxious alarm beeped at the side. I felt woozy. If I had a hangover, this was probably how it felt…minus the headache. "Five more minutes, mom."

An annoyingly chipper voice spoke from my side, sounding vaguely irritated even through the fog clouding my mind. "First, I am not your mom, and thank god for that. I mean, imagine your huge head fitting through my vagina. Ugh. So not happening! I would probably get an infection or something. Plus, you probably came out hairy, so-"

"Alice!" I muttered. "Information overload."

"Anyway, you should get up. The school specifically requested all students to be at school on time."

I grunted again and rolled so my back was facing her. Morning people should be banned from society. "And since when did I care about the school administration? They could tell us to jump off a building and I'd be the only one standing back laughing."

Alice sniffed haughtily. "Glad to know you think so highly of me, Miss Rebel. But get up anyway. I think there's a presentation in the morning."

I groaned. "Oh, wow. A pep rally. Like we didn't get enough of that back in Ohio…or was it Chicago?"

"Orlando, you pighead. And Forks doesn't have any cheerleaders. There's too little bimbos for that."

Thank you, Alice, for reminding me that we had once been in the Miami vicinity. I had lost track of where we had moved to over the past years. I felt like a military brat. Okay, so I was overstating it. I was a _medical _brat.

"Ugh," I muttered into the pilow. "This stinks."

"I know you're not a morning bird, Eddie, but get up, will you?!"

Actually I was referring to the fact that we had moved so much, but that didn't bother Alice. She dragged me up from the bed. Too bad she didn't exercise much, because she lost grip the moment I stood and I fell onto the floor. The hard, cold floor. The hard, cold, _marble _floor.

"Alice!" I complained. Great, I sounded like Emmett.

Alice just giggled and whisked off in a flurry of tiered pink skirts. I huffed, sounding strangely like my grandmother Masen, who I occasionally keep in touch with. I sniffed my arms. I _smelled _like her. Probably that new detergent Esme used.

I stalked to the bathroom, slamming it behind me. Emmett laughed from somewhere in his bedroom.

.xXx.

After a long, cold shower I remembered Bella Swan. That exact moment I started hyperventilating. Oh, no. Me, hyperventilating? Had she put me under some spell? I shudder.

After the combined efforts of Alice and Esme, they finally dragged me to the car…very reluctantly. I complained and whined the whole way.

"Suck it up, Eddie boy. You just don't want to see the new girl," Emmett told me. I glared at him.

"I am not Eddie boy, and the new girl has nothing to do with this," I muttered.

"Sure, go ahead and kid yourself," he snorted. I had the stunning urge to throw something heavy at him…hopefully a glass vase that might smash into a million pieces on his head.

When we finally arrived in school, everyone was gathered in the lecture hall. The lecture hall was only used when there was either a motivational talk or someone getting ratted out in public. I hoped it was the latter. I was in the mood to see some tears and guilt pouring.

Sadly, it was neither. They had gathered us in the hall to listen to a talk…about an upcoming _carnival_, of all things.

I slumped down in the plastic chair, gripping onto the metal sides, willing myself not to look at her. I was never one to exercise self-control though, and I looked.

She was stunning. Not to get me wrong, but living with Alice did teach me some things about fashion, albeit grudgingly, and even with my male-impaired fashion sense I could tell Bella Swan had a flair for making the strangest things look good.

She was wearing a tattered black trench coat that just about touched her knees, showing her creamy pale skin while protecting her from the continuous storm outside. Underneath it she was wearing simple dark jeans and a plain white tee shirt. Simple, plain clothes. And she was beautiful.

She walked carefully to a seat near the front of the hall. God, she was going to kill me. I wanted to jump her.

"Ooh, Edward's getting turned on," Emmett whispered to me. I stepped on his foot hard. I wasn't. I just wanted to get to know her. Emmett always had to blow things out of proportion-just because he was a hormonal, walking bundle of testerone that couldn't go five minutes without frenching his girlfriend didn't mean everybody else was. He expected everyone to have the emotional quotient of a teaspoon and the hormonal quotient of him.

As if to prove my point, Emmett grabbed Rosalie and nuzzled her neck.

Gross.

The principle tapped the mike with one long nail-_can't she hear it squeaking already?_-and blew into it for good measure. God, she was an idiot.

"Good morning, Forks High. As you all know, we're here because of an upcoming carnival to be hosted in Forks. It is a police cum funfair event, and proceeds from the carnival will be donated to RSPCA."

Her voice was so high-pitched, it scraped at my nerves. Suddenly I felt angsty, and all the angst was directed straight at Isabella Swan…at Ms McCoy, the stinking principle who had no clue how to speak to a mass group of pulsing young adults craving blood.

"There will be a few events we will be participating in. First is a short extract from Romeo and Juliet, which four students have already graciously volunteered for," she continued. Great choice, choosing Shakespearean literature where practically every main character died or got arrested. Romeo got killed, Juliet killed herself twice and Paris got killed.

"The second event will be a kissing booth. We will require three volunteers. _Female_ volunteers," she added when Mike got a little enthusiastic.

The whole hall snickered and Rose and Alice raised their hands, much to the dismay of Emmett and Jasper respectively. I watched Bella to see if she would volunteer, but apparently she found kissing booths distasteful. I even saw a little shudder. If she disliked kissing booths, I had to befriend her.

"One more? Jessica Stanley? Good..good…"

Ew. Jessica Stanley at the kissing booth? I made a mental note to avoid the place at all costs.

"The last item on the list is an auction. Yes, I know it sounds crude, but this is _not _an auction to sell bodies. Rather, the winner gets to take the prize on one date-one date-and one date only. The auction begins now as the money will go to setting up the carnival."

Could she have stressed the _one date _any more?

"We have already…"

She was so weird. Her hair, that yucky brown mud hair, looked like it had been fried, ironed, and boiled. Not a good look for anyone.

"Ten girls have been selected from different levels…"

And her eyes-yuck. It was the colour of dead fish, a nasty slimy grey colour. Her skin matched. It was a pale washed-out brownish colour.

"First up Rosalie Hale Cullen…"

"One thousand bucks!" Mike shouted.

"Ten thousand dollars and the Buckingham Palace while we're at it!" Emmett shrieked, glaring at Mike.

"Sold!" cried the principle.

Big shocker there.

"Next up…Alice Mary Brandon Cullen…"

"Fifteen thousand!" Jasper screamed before Tyler could open his mouth.

"Sold!" the principle yelled when nobody protested.

Whoo-hoo, what a surprise. Not. They really had to get some good girls up. Carlisle was going broke at this rate.

"Third one…"

Jessica? Lauren? Angela?

"Isabella Swan!"

_What?_


	9. The Hundred Thousand Dollar Girl

**So guys, I'll be updating less frequently now (duh) since I'm probably going overseas for a couple of weeks in June. Yes, it's going to be boring. My mum insists I go. I don't want to. We're going to Thailand and I've been there for oh, a gazillion times. My dear mummy's Thai, see. I'm sick of distant saying oh what a big girl I am and oh how tall I am. Trust me, I've heard it a million times already. Anyway, here's the story. Just for kicks, try reading this with a poker face. **

_The Hundred Thousand Dollar Girl_

_Edward_

_Tuesday_

"Ten bucks," Jessica Stanley said, sniggering. I rolled my eyes. If Jessica believed that exquisite brand of female was worth ten bucks, she was in for a big surprise. She was worth more than Carlisle's fat bank account.

"Twenty," Lauren chimed in, giggling. Bella rolled her eyes at them, hands on her hips.

"A hundred dollars," Mike said, sounding somewhat pleased.

"Two hundred."

I heard my own voice speak out, and blinked. Emmett was grinning at me, looking too knowing for my taste. I sighed. I was not going to hear the end of this when I got home. Emmett would bring the roof down.

"Two fifty," Tyler said loudly. I frowned. This was going too slowly.

"Five hundred," I called.

"One thousand," Mike said triumphantly. Come on. Jasper bid fifteen thousand for Alice. Whatever gave him the idea I was broke?

"Ten thousand," I said lazily, smiling at Bella's indignant expression. Clearly she thought female auctions were somewhat distasteful.

"Eleven thousand," Tyler said, staring at me. Mike had apparently dropped out, seeing the numbers had gone too large for his liking. I stifled a laugh. Poor Mikey's broke. Better go home crying to his papa that he lost to big bad Cullen in an auction.

"Fifteen thousand," I shouted, starting to feel a little anxious. If this got much higher Carlisle was going to kill me.

"Twenty thousand," cried some guy at the back called Francis. A nerd with cash to spare. Fantastic.

"Twenty one thousand!" I shouted, now panicked. Bella looked furious.

"Fifty thousand dollars!" Francis shouted triumphantly. I paused. How much could I afford? As far as I knew I only had fifty five thousand in my bank account, courtesy to extremely high interest. The whole hall was stirring now, everyone whispering at how high the dollar amounts had gotten. Even the teachers looked shocked.

Emmett nudged me, smiling.

"I'll loan you," he whispered.

"Going once…"

"Me, too," Jasper hissed.

"Going twice…"

"A hundred thousand dollars!" I yelled quickly. Emmett grinned, leaning back.

"Atta boy, Eddie," he whispered. I smiled at him thankfully, waiting on tenterhooks to see if Francis would try to top that offer. If he did, I had regretted to say that I would drop out. Bella Swan was worth a hundred thousand, but my life was priceless. If I loaned any more Carlisle would kill me.

There wasn't a sound. I turned to look. Francis was slumped down on his chair, looking resigned. I grinned.

"Sold!" the principle cried, banging on the podium. I laughed softly. Bella walked down from the stage, looking boiling mad. Huh. The girl looked fit to kill. Hopefully it wouldn't be my life on the line.

"Guess we're on a date, then," I said cheerfully, hopping up and walking to her after the principle dismissed us. She glared at me.

"Edward Cullen, I sincerely hope your teeth fall out one by one and your toenails get pulled out with tweezers," she fumed. "How could you spend that _much_ on me?"

"Easy," I said, shrugging. "I just did."

She stomped on my foot, hard, and I winced. Ouch. That girl was feisty. More so than those blonde chicks on Sex and the City-esque shows where brainless-looking girls act all macho and feminist before sleeping with the guy, or act wimpy and distressed and _then _sleep with the guy. I hoped she was neither. Though I wouldn't mind sleeping with her…

"A hundred thousand dollars," she said, still steaming mad, pulling my mind out of the gutter. "A _hundred thousand dollars_. Do you have _any _idea how many people could be rescued from poverty with that much money?"

So she was a humanitarian as well. Cute. "Yeah, but rescuing people from poverty won't score me a hot date with a chick destined to be on Maxim's top 100 hottest girls, will it?" I asked, winking. She reddened adorably.

"You are a –" she began to say furiously.

"A incredibly hot player who happens to be rich and spent a tenth of a million bucks on an equally gorgeous girl," I interrupted, smirking. "I get it all the time, no worries."

"Actually, I was going to say egoistical and mindless, but the player part works well enough," she shot back.

"Ouch," I said in mock hurt. "Take that back."

"Nope," she said, trying not to smile now.

"Okay then," I said, smiling. "Then I'll just have to tell everybody you consider me hot and have fallen for me with all your heart and soul."

"I never said that!" she protested.

"You said you agreed with the player part," I pointed out. "And the word player is preceded by the word hot. Hence, I can infer that you consider me a player and therefore, I am hot."

She started laughing. "And the latter part?" she countered. "Have I happened to say anything that misled you? Wouldn't want to break your itty bitty heart, you know."

"Oh, that part should come around soon enough," I said, smirking.

"Key word being should," she retorted. "Don't bet on it."

She turned and walked off, her hips sashaying slightly. I watched her hair bounce ever so slightly. "I can wait!" I called out after her. I vaguely heard her laugh.

I can wait. I can wait forever for her.


	10. Nice To Meet Ya

**Thanks for putting up with my lack of updating, guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter-the day has ended and Bella is pissed. **

_Happily Never After  
Bella  
Tuesday_

Va-va-vroom. My truck was old, but it had moves. I shifted uncomfortably, pulled out an empty lunch bag from under me, and started driving.

He was an ass. A big, complete total retard. He deserved to rot in hell for wasting a tenth of a million on me. ME. As if I was worth that much in the first place. If he actually cared for the charities then it was a different story, but he just wanted to score a date with me. What a player jerk.

_Like you?_

I pushed the little nasty thought away. I had changed. I wasn't the stupid idiot playgirl I used to be. Now that I thought about it, being that person...well, it was kinda stupid. I had been pretending my ass off, and just thinking about my behaviour made me sick. No wonder Renee had gotten so mad at me.

I sighed and slowed down, swiping one hand over my forehead. Great. It took a player to change another player. I seriously needed therapy. All this crap was getting to my head.

First things first. I needed to tell Carlisle Cullen of his, ah, sons' extravagant spending. Millionaire or not, a hundred grand wasn't a little matter. Add that to Jasper Cullen and Emmett Cullen's crazy spending and Carlisle Cullen would be broke. If the auction had gone on any longer the Cullens would be bankrupt.

I deliberated. After two seconds I executed a very nice sudden turn and went the opposite direction that I was meant to go. I had never been to the Cullen's house before, but Charlie was so terrified of me getting lost, he had educated me thoroughly on the surrounding roads and highways. I felt like I had a built-in GPS system in my head. Maybe a tinny female voice would tell me to turn left.

Which, of course, didn't happen. The only voice I heard was my stupid conscience, which would shut up and leave me well enough alone.

"Hmph," I muttered, drumming my fingers on the dashboard, my elbows resting on the steering wheel as I drove down a straight road. I was looking for trouble, and I knew it. I wasn't even a fair driver. Oh, if my dad saw me now...

After what seemed like ages, I was travelling down the long driveway flanked by tall oak trees. It wasn't even a proper driveway, just a hiking trail-ish path worn into the ground. The only thing distinguishing _this _path was its huge size-it looked as though it could fit two monster trucks in here-and the abnormal perfection that each tree flanking it was exactly one arms' length apart.

The Cullens were supposedly rich, but they couldn't afford to build a proper gravel-and-tar driveway? Either they were posers or they liked living under a shroud of obscurity.

I parked the truck a distance away from the actual house, reversing it so that I could make a quick getaway in case Edward came chasing after me with a knife in hand. Sure, I was being a bit dramatic, but judging by first impressions, Edward Cullen wasn't really to be underestimated. Also, by parking my truck in that spot, I wasn't blocking the driveway either. I was in this weird spot that branched out from the actual driveway. A few steps back, and the truck became completely shrouded in ferns.

I walked the rest of the way, my head down and the toe of my shoe scuffing the ground, sending dirt everywhere. To a passer-by I probably looked sad, or even depressed, but really I wasn't. I was wondering how to put my thoughts into polite words that didn't include mad cussing.

Then their house came into view. I looked up reluctantly. My jaw dropped.

_Oh. My. God._

I knew the Cullens were rich, but this...this was crazy. You could fit ten of Charlie's house in this...this _mansion. _It was crazy. It was...surprisingly beautiful. I was suddenly seized with an urge to turn and flee. Not because the palace was so intimidating, but more because I was...well, I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed that I was so plain and so poor compared to them, and then even more embarrassed for having the thought in the first place.

_Isabella Marie Swan, you have nothing to be embarrassed of. _

That, at least, was true. I wasn't plain or poor. The Cullens were rich. I sighed and stomped up to the wide Victorian-style door and knocked-well, pounded would be a better description.

The door swung open, revealing a pretty woman that looked only about 30, tops. This must be their mother. Her caramel-coloured eyes had the same hypnotic effect as Renee's, exuding that weird I-know-what-my-kids-are-up-to knowledge that all mothers seemed to have. Her face broke out into a wide smile, albeit a little surprised. Heck, of course she'd be surprised. A random stranger just pounded on her door like a maniac.

"Oh! Um, to what do I owe this visit? Isabella Swan, right?" she asked.

"Bella," I corrected automatically. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs Cullen. I'm a friend of Edward."

"Please, call me Esme. Come on in," she said, and held the door open wider so I could duck in around her. She was nicer than I would have expected. From the looks of the house I expected a snooty, polished blonde-haired blue-eyed woman who dressed in cashmere and skin-tight white leather that talked down on people and subtly insulted everyone. Instead I saw a sweet woman with brown hair almost identical to mine and caramel-coloured eyes. To top it off she was wearing jeans. Wow.

"Esme," I said, confidence springing back to be in waves. "I'm here to see Mr. Cullen, actually. Is he home?"

Damn. Of course he wasn't. It was a working day, for crying out loud. He was probably at the hospital. Mentally I kicked myself at my stupidity.

Surprisingly, though, Esme merely smiled. "As a matter of fact, he is. He made use of the numerous sick days he accumulated to work at home today. We're hosting a little get-together tonight, and he wants to make sure Emmett doesn't ruin the decorations."

I laughed. "That sounds like Emmett." It did. I might not know the guy, but he looked the type to do something ridiculous like that. He had brawn, but his face was like a kid's.

Esme laughed, too, and gestured towards a door at the end of the long hallway. I hadn't realized we had travelled to the third floor already. "That's his office. Be warned, though, he can get a tad distracted while working, so you might have to knock more than a few times."

I smiled. "I'll take note," I assured her, and walked to the door. Esme waited a few seconds, then went back down. I hesitated a moment before rapping on the door sharply. Esme was right; it took four knocks before a distracted-sounding voice replied.

"Come in."

I opened the door slowly, steeling myself for a rich snob Cullen. Esme had surpassed my expectations, but I couldn't possibly believe there were _two _nice rich people in the same family in the world. **(Haha, as you can see Bella has something like a prejudice against rich people. Just a characteristic I wanted to add in.)**

The man that looked up from the desk looked like my stereotype of rich people. He had wavy golden hair and light coloured eyes. I couldn't say precisely what colour they were, because from where I was standing they appeared to be morphing from blue to topaz to green and back to blue.

_Holy crap._

And you expect me to believe _this _guy was a doctor? He should be a model! I slowly approached the desk overflowing with papers, and barely stifled a giggle as Carlisle lunged for a stack of papers that had begun to topple. Carlisle straightened them and grinned at me.

"Sorry, I tend to get caught up in my work. Isabella Swan, if I'm not mistaken. Please, sit," he said, waving aimlessly towards a cushy armchair in front of the desk. I sat down, noticing he wasn't even sweating despite having working for goodness knows how long.

Now that I was seated I noticed his eyes were a light blue. **(The books never said what Carlisle's human eye colour was so I'm just going out on a limb here and guessing it's blue. Hope you don't mind.)**

"Bella, Mr. Cullen," I corrected.

"Bella," he repeated. "And call me Carlisle."

Eesh, what was it with this family and first names? Honestly, it was freaking me out. It was almost as if they had no clue about social courtesy. But heck, if he wanted me to address him by his first name, I would address him by his first name. Though calling him Mr Cullen would definitely be a lot easier.

"Carlisle," I said. "Before I begin, may I ask you, do you consider a hundred thousand a small amount?"

Carlisle frowned, his brows furrowing to form an almost straight line. "Of course not!" he exclaimed. "A fifth of that amount would be considered hefty to me." He smiled suddenly. "I'm not sure what rumours you have been listening to, Bella, but if you think we consider that large an amount trivial you have been misinformed."

I could've kissed him. His little speech just made me a lot more confident about what I was going to tell him.

"Well...I don't really know how to say this," I confessed. Carlisle smiled kindly. "Okay, today at school there was an assembly on a carnival the school was going to organize in conjuction with National Police Day." Carlisle nodded, urging me to go on. "The school was organizing a few activities that required preparation. Two of them were the kissing booth and the bid-for-a-date auction."

Carlisle breathed out slowly, making a soft sigh-like hiss in the air. Apparently he now knew where this was all going. "I assume Rosalie and Alice were up for bids," he said. Not as a question, but a statement. I hid a grin before nodding. "How much?" he asked wearily.

"Fifteen thousand for Jasper, ten thousand for Emmett," I told him solemnly. He groaned and fell back onto his chair, mopping up the beads of sweat that had appeared. _So _now_ he sweats?_

"Dear God," he muttered under his breath. I doubt he intended for me to hear. "They are both doomed."

That I couldn't help but snicker softly at. "Actually...Edward kind of splurged too."

Carlisle froze. "How much?"

I paused-not for dramatic effect, but I was wondering about the health of his heart. He couldn't be _that _young if he had four kids. And heart attacks were all the rage now, what with the invention of coconut milk and extra grease...but he was a doctor, he'll survive. "A hundred thousand dollars."

Carlisle sighed and mumbled something under his breath that I was sure I didn't want to hear. I stood up abruptly. "Sorry for bringing you bad news, Carlisle, but I thought you should know."

"Before my bank account suddenly gets depleted?" he asked wryly, and I smiled. "You're right. At least this way I can blame the right people. The last time something like this was organised in Forks five thousand dollars went missing from my bank account. Emmett blamed it on Alice's shopping. Poor girl, she had no clue why she was rebuked so harshly when she returned from a friend's house. I only discovered this when Edward accidentally let slip."

I giggled. Poor Alice. "I should really be going, Carlisle. Sorry for not having better news."

Carlisle smiled radiantly, though the horror was still there. "Of course. Feel free to inform me if anything like this happens again. I promise not to tell." I grinned.

"Sure," I said, and headed out the door.

"Oh, and Bella?" Carlisle called. "Jasper and Emmett were obviously bidding on Alice and Rosalie respectively, but who was Edward bidding for?"

I was halfway out the door. I turned, popped my head into the room and winked at Carlisle. "Me," I said, and left. Behind me, before the door swung shut, I heard Carlisle start laughing.

Humming under my breath, I strolled down the grand stairs and out the door, smiling to Esme, who had appeared at the kitchen doorway wiping her hands on a dishcloth. As I slid into my truck, I spotted the three cars that rumbled down the driveway, passing by me as I leaned out the window of my truck.

As the third car passed by, I leaned out the window, making myself completely visible, and waved jauntily to Edward.

I drove home feeling much happier than I've felt in a long time.

***sniffs* If you're reading this, I love you. I feel like this chapter was really hard to write, mainly because I lost inspiration. But after Bella walked into the house, the ideas started flowing. I'm still not sure if this chapter's good enough, but hey! Review your thoughts then!**


	11. Excuse Me

**Okay guys, so I updated this story before any of my other stories, so you should be glad! *swipes an escaping tear* And by the way, let's all scream a loud 'Happy Father's Day' to Carlisle for being the kindest vegetarian vampire around! **

_Excuse Me  
Tuesday  
Edward_

"Edward and Bella, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Emmett, for the last time, would you _please _shut up?"

Emmett had been repeating the ridiculously childish tune for the past five minutes it had taken to get from last period to the car, and was still singing it. It was a pity our cars were so close to the exit, or I would have done much more than simply yell at Emmett. My Volvo had moved out from the repair shop and was back at home with me, though the interior still had that fish oil smell that no amount of airing could get rid of.

Rosalie smiled. "I think it's cute," she told Emmett.

"You must be insane," I muttered, clicking on my keyless remote. The car beeped comfortingly. Ah, yes. I loved that car like a mother loved her baby.

Emmett made kissing noises as I entered the car. I slammed the door.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" I cooed, touching the handle.

"You're nuts, you know that?" Alice asked, already plopped down next to Jasper, who was fondling her spiky hair. How she got into my car, I have no idea. She just better not have destroyed anything in her quest to get in.

"Yeah? I don't see you having any problem loving that Porsche the neighbours got," I retorted, starting the car. Alice sniffed and snuggled into Jasper's chest.

"Hey, man, don't you think spending a hundred grand on a girl is a little too much?" Jasper asked, now smothering Alice with kisses all over her face and neck. I took one look at them in the rear view mirror and gagged.

"Guys! Not in my car!" I wailed. Alice snickered and straightened up, adjusting her shirt. I swallowed back bile.

"Oh, and Jasper, you're the one that spent fifteen thousand on Alice. That's a bit hypocritical," I pointed out. Jasper thought for a moment and conceded defeat.

"I just don't want to be around when Carlisle finds out," Jasper said. I shrugged.

"I'll just say I spent only a few hundred."

Jasper raised one eyebrow sceptically. "Like he'll believe that?"

Probably not, I thought to myself, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Then I slammed one hand on the horn as Rosalie cut into my path, turning to smile at me triumphantly, and horned another time as Emmett came swerving in his monster Jeep, grinning like a maniac at me. Honestly, those two were beyond words.

Then I turned onto the driveway. We must've looked quite a procession, with Rosalie's ostentatious red M3 leading and Emmett's conspicuous Jeep right behind belching smoke. I caught a flash of rusty red to my left and turned to peer through the thick shroud of giant ferns. Honestly, why Esme insisted on keeping this driveway was beyond me. Anybody could get lost in here.

I rolled down the window slightly to see better through the heavily tinted windows, earning loud protests from the Cupids at the back at the stinging rain that swept through the car from that tiny crack. I muttered under my breath, peering through.

Then, to my horror, I saw Isabella Swan grinning and waving at me as though Christmas had come early.

And pathetically, I froze.

"Shit!" I yelled, ten seconds late, and stomped on the brake while yanking the steering wheel, sending the car in a 180 spin Rosalie would be proud of, the tyres squealing their protest and Alice and Jasper screaming their heads off. I saw Bella's ancient truck disappearing somewhere at the mouth of the driveway. I leaned back in my seat, my eyes wide.

_Damn. Damn, damn, damn._

"Edward, I always knew you were crazy, but this is nuts!" Alice shrieked. I must've really scared her because Alice isn't scared easily. She was even more of a reckless driver than I was.

"Shit, shit, shit," I whispered. I was screwed. If Bella was at my house...my mind conjured out numerous terrifying scenes that I tried to push away.

"Edward! I don't care what kind of scary ghost you saw in the bushes, but can you get a move on?" Jasper shouted from the back, holding Alice. I realized they hadn't seen Bella's little showcase of happiness. I restarted the engine, which was now sputtering again-great, now I needed to replace it, AGAIN-, and drove the rest of the way home. I parked and was at the house in record speed.

"Edward, my man! What took ya so long?" Emmett hollered from the upstairs window. I ignored his wannabe-gangster moment and stomped inside the house, zeroing on Esme, who was setting muffins on the table. She looked up at me brightly.

"Muffins? I've got blueberry, chocolate, banana, and of course, the classic, plain with salty caramel," Esme offered, holding up the tray. I felt so sick to my stomach the scent was almost giving me diarrhoea.

"Emmett! Muffins!" I yelled, rewarded with a loud thump and a huge body rushing past me. I kept my eyes focused on Esme. "What was Isabella Swan doing here?" I spat at her. Her eyes widened at my tone.

"Bella," she corrected automatically. Great, now they were on first-name terms. "And Edward, I don't like that tone."

I ignored that. "What did she want?" I demanded, feeling slightly guilty for being so disrespectful.

Esme sighed. "I don't know. Ask your father. And Edward, once you're done, get down here."

Crap. Now I was in for it. I turned and went up the staircase, pleased to get away from Emmett's smug guffaws. I pounded on Carlisle's door, heard his customary 'come in', and stormed in. I got right to the point.

"What in the bloody _hell _was Bella doing here?" I demanded, not caring I was actually cussing in front of my father. He seemed unfazed by my little outburst.

"Why, can't you guess?" Carlisle asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Excuse me for not being a mind-reader, Carlisle, but some of us _do _have to go to school," I shot back dryly, changing tactics. Carlisle simply laughed at me. With fathers like him, who needs Emmett?

"You should sit down, Edward," Carlisle said-a statement, not a suggestion. He stretched out from under the desk to nudge the chair slightly. I sat. "Actually, Bella came to inform me of...exuberant spending on your part."

I groaned and slumped back in my chair. Lovely. Bella was a tattletale. I was doomed. This was the end of my existence.

Put in that context, it sounded like a scene from a drama movie, but in reality it was as close to truth as possible. Esme was furious at my attitude towards her, Carlisle was going to kill me for spending his money, and Bella...to put it nicely, once I got within sight of her beautiful head she would be bald.

Okay, I was overstating it. So sue me.

"Edward...I'm going to make this quick. Your stereo is gone, that ridiculous Goth mirror is out, your Volvo is out of bounds for two months and, oh yes, and you have to clean out the garden every Sunday. First session starts today. The next one will be this Saturday and so on and so forth."

"MY VOLVO IS WHAT?!" I screamed, leaping up, that part of his threat finally sinking in. Carlisle started laughing. I wheeled and stormed out.

"Oh, and Edward, don't bother hiding the keys. Esme already has it in a secret place," Carlisle called as the door clicked shut. I rolled up my sleeves and slammed one fist into the wall before stomping off to my baby to bid her adieu. Behind me I heard Jasper and Emmett get called to Carlisle's office. I grunted and went to my shiny car sitting between Emmett's crude, rugged Jeep and Rosalie's flashy red BMW. Jasper's glinting motorcycle sat in the corner. Jasper adored that bike, almost as much as he loved Alice. It was a good thing he couldn't bring it to school, or it would have been stolen by now.

From somewhere behind me I heard Jasper and Emmett scream in protest. In exactly ten seconds both of them dashed into the garage and went over to the motorcycle and the Jeep respectively.

I sighed, putting one cheek on the roof. "And I just got it back," I complained.

"Who ratted us out?" Emmett wailed, cradling the bars on his Jeep. Jasper released a similar animalistic cry, his head on the handlebars and his right arm hugging the throttle.

"Bella Swan," I said bitterly. Emmett's head shot up.

"Your girl? Hoo-whee," Emmett let out a low whistle. "Damn, man, you sure know how to pick them. I mean, sure I picked a feisty girl, but come on. Even Rose wouldn't rat us out on something like that."

"For once...I actually agree with Em," Jasper said, still stroking his bike. "I really can't imagine Alice doing something like that."

I got up from my brief moment with my car and glowered at both of them. "As much as I'm enjoying our budding moment here..." I glared at Emmett in particular, venom dripping from my words, "I have a stinking garden to clean."

Jasper shook his head. "I have to clean this garage," he confessed, sweeping his arm around, gesturing the garage. Emmett looked down sheepishly. Jasper looked at him. "C'mon, Emmett, spill. What do _you _have to clean?"

"Thmtoigems," he muttered.

"What?" Jasper asked, confused. Emmett simply repeated the unintelligible word, only louder. I blinked at him.

"The toilets! I have to clean each toilet in the house!" Emmett shouted, throwing his arms up. We stared at him. Poor guy. He made my sentence look like bees and honey.

"Well...at least we can put this down on one person," Jasper said, sighing.

"Bella Swan," we all said together.


	12. Payback's A Bitch

**I'm back! Thanks so much for the great response to the last chapter, guys. I got 19 reviews! *tears up* Let's aim for 20 this time round, yeah? And by the way, my new one shot is up. It's called Vulnerable and it's basically about Bella fixing Edward for once instead of always Edward comforting Bella. Do read that one too and thanks for the support! I feel so loved. **

**At time of writing I have just received news that Michael Jackson is dead. The King of Pop is no more. That is so sad and honestly, incredibly unbelievable. I was a huge fan of Michael Jackson and he's become a household name, much like Madonna. R.I.P M.J. You'll always live on as The King of Pop.**

_Payback's A Bitch  
Wednesday  
Bella_

I looked so happy last night that Charlie actually asked me if I was feeling alright over fish and chips at dinner. Of course, being me, I just blushed and waved it off with a noncommittal 'mmm'. The look on his face almost gave me hysterics. He looked as though I was messing around in the back of my pickup.

I woke up at six thirty thanks to Charlie's bizarre clumping around and his traditional goodbye shout. He always shouted bye to me regardless if I was awake or not. It was actually kinda sweet. I'd have to do something nice for him soon. He was a bizarre dad, but a good one.

The drive to school was...interesting. Interesting because I tripped four times between the kitchen to the door, and interesting because the sun looked as though it might just make a surprise appearance today. But mostly it was interesting because of what happened at the entrance to the school parking lot.

There was only one way in and one way out from the school, and that was the narrow piece of road that was only about fifteen feet long. After that it widened out into the parking lot. When I arrived, the scene I saw was hilarious. I had to press my hand to my mouth to keep from cracking up.

Rosalie Hale was positioned gracefully under her M3, lying on a skateboard she had probably borrowed from a hormonal sixteen-year-old teenage guy. Emmett's huge bulk was next to Rosalie, and Edward and Jasper were having a screaming fight with him as gas steadily pooled at their feet. All this was taking place at the mouth of the little road.

Add that very funny scene to the ten or so cars blaring their horns and screaming at the Cullens to move their butts, and I was almost peeing in my pants. I hit my horn as well, and tried to control my giggling. This was a way of starting a day that I could get used to.

.xXx.

I strolled to first period clutching my books to my chest, humming under my breath. Before I reached class, though, I saw Emmett's imposing bulk at the end of the long hallway. I grinned, inventing up a jibe for the performance this morning. Then I saw Edward's muscular figure flanking him on one side and Jasper's recognizable tall frame on the other, and quickly reconsidered the thought.

"Time to go," I muttered, turning to take a detour.

"Hey!" Emmett's loud voice boomed behind me. "Bella! Wait! We have a bone to pick with you!" At that Jasper and Edward started laughing.

I stopped and inhaled. _You brought this onto yourself, Bella, _I reminded myself, and turned to face them. I plastered a fake smile on my face. "How may I help you?" I asked politely. At least nobody could accuse me of being rude, though my tone did remind me of that woman voice you get when calling customer service and want to smack in the face.

"I heard you were tattling to Carlisle yesterday," Emmett thundered, his voice echoing off the walls. Edward and Jasper snickered.

"Um...yes?" I bit my lip. No point denying it. I only hoped the Cullens were big on payback. I could only imagine the horrors Carlisle punished Edward with, and judging by this, Jasper and Emmett too.

"Do you know what he did to me?" Emmett whispered, bringing down his mouth to my ear. I thought I saw Edward frown momentarily, but it was gone in an instant. I shrugged it off and shook my head no to Emmett's question. "He made me clean the toilets!" Emmett bellowed suddenly, making me jump.

I stared at him for a moment before cracking up laughing. The thought of bulky, imposing Emmett cleaning the _toilets_ was amazingly hilarious. Emmett stared at me. Apparently he had been expecting me to fall to my knees and grovel for mercy or something equally humiliating, because I could easily see the surprise on his face. That and the fact that Jasper was banging his head on the lockers repeatedly and Edward was smirking at Emmett murmuring, "I told you so."

Emmett let out a loud whine. "Aw, come on, Bella! You were supposed to apologize!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Why am _I _the one to apologize? Blame Eduardo over there for spending so much on me I felt the need to blab to Carlisle." Edward's jaw dropped and he shot a death glare my way. Jasper was still smacking his head on the lockers. I could see the skin around his forehead turn red. Emmett pouted at me.

"Because of you blabbing to daddy, I had to clean the toilets _and _get my Jeep taken away!" Emmett complained. "And now I just lost a bet to Edward!"

"You played for money?" I couldn't imagine what these immensely rich folks wanted with more money.

"No," Emmett said, sticking out his lower lip and looking like my baby cousin on a bad day. "I have to lug around a ridiculous blow-up doll Eduardo calls Betty."

I stared at Emmett, and then at Edward. "Betty?"

Edward ignored me, looking at Edward. "Betty is _not _ridiculous. She is as alive as Thomas."

"The train?" I asked, giggling. Edward rolled his eyes at me, stepping a little closer as more students poured in.

"No, not the train, although that's better than what Emmett thought. He thought Thomas was the crazy old man that hung out in front of strip clubs in Seattle," Edward said, snorting. Emmett held up his hands in mock surrender. "In his defense he _is_ a dickhead, so I can excuse that for once."

"Hey!" Emmett protested. "Old strip club lover man is better than the Thomas _you _thought of. He thought of Thomas Jefferson, can you believe him? What kind of old artsy fartsy guy thinks of Thomas Jefferson when you say Thomas?"

I giggled again, looking at Edward. "Edward, didn't you say Betty was as alive as Thomas Jefferson? Um, FYI, Thomas Jefferson died in 1826."

Edward groaned loudly. "Betty is alive! Fine! She's as alive as...as...Alice!" He stared at me, daring us silently to contradict him. Emmett stifled a laugh.

"Um, Edward, Alice is a pretty common name..."

"My great grandmother was named Mary Jane Alice," I piped up. Edward glowered at me as Jasper finally stopped trying to mutilate himself on the lockers. He came over and seized Edward and Emmett, grabbing a fistful of their hair.

"Would you _stop _discussing the lifespan of my girlfriend and get to point already?" Jasper shrieked, sounding half-demented. Edward smirked at Jasper.

"Why's he so moody?" I asked. Jasper was usually the calm one from what I saw.

"Oh, just because he has to carry Betty around today. Which reminds me..." Edward darted into a nearby janitor's closet and reappeared with a huge doll. My eyes widened. No wonder Emmett and Jasper hated the thing so much. She looked like...like a stripper, actually. Part of that was because she was almost naked except for a towel around her body and a few strategically placed soap suds. Apparently she was meant for bathroom company. Another part was because she looked like the gossipy girls that stayed in the girls' room for hours breaking down the facial features of a boy.

"That's Betty? She looks weirdly like Jessica," I said, naming one of said gossipy girls. Edward scowled at me and seized Betty, hugging her. I pitied his future wife if he was going to lug around that doll.

"Can we get to the point?" Jasper asked wearily.

"What point?" Emmett asked, and upon seeing the death glare Jasper sent him, quickly backtracked. "Oh! The point! Bella, we're getting revenge on you." Jasper groaned loudly, smacking his hand on his forehead.

"Emmett, you weren't supposed to tell her that!"

"Oops," Emmett said, winking at me and sauntering off as the bell rang. I stared after the three of them-the tall honey blonde hailing from Texas, the intimidating and ridiculously childish clown, and the sex siren grasping a life-size blow-up doll complaining that it was said clown and blonde that should be lugging the thing around.

God, they were weird. And they were starting to grow on me.

Oh, help.


	13. Confrontations and Friends

I never really managed to fully understand the meaning behind Emmett Cullen's words. The day flew past uninterrupted and I managed to make a few friends, one of whom was Angela, who told me all about Edward Cullen. Apparently he was the bad boy of the town, always with a girl, and sometimes even with two. I had tried to ignore the twinge of familiarity that came with that.

The day was surprisingly smooth. I didn't see any of the Cullens outside of class. The few times I saw Emmett, he was carrying the ridiculous doll, sulking as he slouched through the hallways. I was pretty sure he attracted more than quite a bit of attention, especially when he got summoned to the principal's office in sixth period Biology. He had given Edward the finger and swaggered off, clutching Betty with a huge grin on his face.

After school I practically ran outside, desperate to get home before any of the Cullens caught me. Alice and Rosalie had already winked at me and given me the thumbs up. I didn't even want to think about what that might mean.

"Bella! Bella, wait!"

"Crap," I cursed, fumbling in my pocket for my keys. Please, please let me be imagining that horribly familiar voice.

"Bella!"

I ignored the voice and kept running-or stumbling, actually. I dragged my keys out of the scratchy fabric of my jeans pocket. Impulsively I turned to see how far I was from him, but fortunately I couldn't even see any Cullen amidst the scram of students flooding the parking lot.

"Oof!"

"You know, you're not a very fast runner," a smooth voice said from above me, sounding suspiciously amused. I glared at Edward Cullen, straightening up from his arms.

"I was fast enough to avoid Emmett running after me screaming bloody murder at lunch," I muttered.

Edward chuckled, his arms still wrapped around my waist. I squirmed a little, feeling strangely out of place with only two inches separating me and his neck. Yes, I was that short. Damn stupid genes that dictated guys should be taller than girls. It wasn't fair at all.

"Well, actually, as I recall, Emmett was screaming 'bloody murder' as you put it, but trying to tell you your laces were untied. And just so you know, the only reason you managed to avoid him was because you ran into the girls' washroom," Edward added, smiling.

I snorted. "Sour grapes," I muttered. I glared at Edward. "Mind letting me go now?"

Edward grinned at me and let go of my waist, letting his hand fall to wrap around mine. I snatched my hand away, scowling at him, and clambered into my truck huffily. To my horror Edward came in from the other side and plopped himself down in the passenger seat.

"What the hell, Edward?! Are you inviting yourself to my house now?"

Edward sniggered, reaching over to grab the keys from my hand and rev up the engine himself. I had to give it to him. He had some nerve. "Well, considering I did win a date with you and got my Volvo confiscated, my mirror thrown away, my stereo hidden somewhere in the attic and, oh yes, gardening duties every Sunday, I think I have a right to take you out without any complaints."

I stared at him, my jaw slack. Attractive image, I was sure. I shut my mouth, trying to get my brain to function properly. "But-but-_what_?"

Edward started laughing. "But, but, what? Is that even a sentence? I'm disappointed, Bella."

I scowled at him harshly. "Fine, whatever. Have your fun. Just you wait, one day I'll do a lot worse than simply get your Volvo confiscated."

Stupid Edward just kept laughing. I had to kick him twice before he shut up, reminding him about supposed 'date'. No way in hell was I actually going to go along with it. I chanced a peek out the windshield and groaned when I saw the mob of girls glowering at the truck. Damn Edward Cullen for choosing _me _to pick on today.

Once he calmed down enough to stop laughing he started explaining the terms of the date. I barely caught it considering the girls outside the truck were starting to swarm closer. I think I even saw the girls that hung out in the bathroom glaring at me. I poked Edward's side nervously. "Um, Edward? Not to spoil your mood or anything, but I'm getting a little nervous with all the girls" I glanced outside again, "looking fit to kill."

Edward looked out and burst out laughing. "Only one way to fix that, huh?" he asked, smirking at me. I widened my eyes in confusion. Unfortunately I never got to say anything, because he suddenly reached over, grabbed my waist and dragged me to him. Me being me, I let out a little yelp, thinking he was going to rape me or something equally horrifying, when suddenly he was in the driver's seat and I was in the passenger's.

"What are you doing?" I squeaked. Edward smirked at me.

"Driving," he answered, and stomped on the accelerator. "We're going to Port Angeles. There's an awesome seafood place I've been dying to try out."

I huffed and sat back in my seat.

.xXx.

"Remind me again why I'm even putting up with this?"

Edward grinned at me, his teeth winking. "Because you got my Volvo, stereo and mirror confiscated, gardening duties every –"

"Fine, fine," I interrupted. "I got it."

Edward kept driving for a few more minutes before glancing at me from the corner of his eye. "So...how did you sleep last night?"

I paused, my eyebrows shooting up. "You're actually asking me that?"

Edward paused. "I guess?" he said, making his words a question. I cracked up, a giggle escaping me despite myself. I struggled to control myself as Edward stared at me incredulously.

"Like a baby," I told him before starting to laugh again.

Edward grinned at me, looking away from the road, _again_. "You know people that say that usually haven't slept in the same room with a baby before?"

"And you have?" I teased right back.

He shrugged. "When I was sixteen, my nephew Eleazar came over. And God, that kid has a set of lungs on him. He was three at the time and couldn't sleep for two hours without screaming. Everyone was about to scream right back at him."

I giggled, imagining a frustrated Edward close to ripping his hair out. Then I looked at Edward, noticing for the first time the childish boy Edward and not the player Edward that dozens of girls claimed to have slept with. He looked straight ahead at the road to Port Angeles, smiling slightly in the wind whipping through the open window.

"I'm a virgin, you know," he said conversationally.

My train of thought stopped right in its tracks. "W-_what_?" I demanded, my voice half demented. Edward turned to smirk at me.

"I'm a virgin," he repeated cockily. That son of a...

"Do you tend to inform people you just met that you're a virgin?"

"Not usually," he conceded, turning his head to throw a quick smile my direction. "But judging by some of the rumours Lauren decided to start, I thought it best to inform you of my sexual status. What about you, Miss Swan? I seem to hear you're not quite the good girl yourself."

I looked down at my hands, playing with my fingers and biting my lip. Did I trust Edward Cullen? No. Did I want to trust him? Oh, hell yes.

"If it makes you feel better, Esme wasn't very happy with me either." His gentle tone caught me off guard, and I looked up to see his eyes shining at me with an understanding smile on his face.

"They really know how to make you feel like crap, huh?" I said quietly, still looking down. I vividly remembered Renee's harsh words after I had been caught with some classmate in Phoenix.

_Start controlling your life, Bella, before the shit starts controlling you._

Edward laughed harshly. "That's one way of putting it. Emmett calls it my sob story." I looked up, my interest piqued.

"Sob story?"

Edward sighed heavily. I felt a twinge of guilt at obviously prying at something he didn't want to talk about, but I pushed it away. Now wasn't the time for guilt. If I could find out what made Edward Cullen tick, I would.

"My parents died when I was fourteen," he began, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed nervously. "A fire broke out in our apartment complex in Chicago. My father threw me out of my window to save me, but they didn't have enough time to escape. I was adopted by Carlisle and Esme when I was fifteen. I was the last to be adopted."

I stared at him, my eyes frozen wide. This was unexpected. I hadn't expected Edward Cullen to have this side to him.

He seemed different. He was different.

Edward sighed. "It's just not fair."

I smiled softly. "So why do you do like you do?"

He snorted lightly at my sentence. "I don't know. It's just that...can a foster mother really love a kid that isn't biologically hers? It's not that I doubt Esme, it's just that...sometimes, I wonder if she handles our crap because she loves us or because...she has to."

I thought for a moment before thinking, _oh, what the heck, _and put my hand on his forearm. "Edward," I said softly. He didn't answer. "Edward," I repeated, my voice louder. He ignored me. Son of a... "Edward!"

"What?" he screamed back at me, his face livid. I refused to shrink back from him. I was not a coward. He, on the other hand, was.

"Is that why you go around picking up girls at the speed of light?" I asked softly.

Edward softened and he looked out of the window shield steadily. I mentally scoffed at the pure guy-ness of that. Only a guy would rather look distracted than vulnerable.

"I didn't think that a girl's love might be more physical that a mother's," Edward whispered. I didn't really understand, but I took it as a yes.

I sighed, leaning back in my seat as Edward expertly manipulated the roads. "My parents divorced when I was four. My younger sister got mauled by a dog and died a week later when I was seven."

Now it was Edward's turn to stare at me. "The day before you arrived in Forks, I overheard Esme and Charlie talking about you and your apparently promiscuous ways."

I blanched before smiling dryly at Edward. "Eavesdropper much, Edward?" I teased. Edward smirked at me before pursing his lips and sighing softly.

"It isn't fair, is it?" he asked quietly. I didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know he wasn't speaking about eavesdropping.

"Life isn't fair, Edward. Nobody has it all; no matter how many different masks they put on." I winced at my own words. They were truer than he would ever expect.

Edward smiled at me. "At least we have friends, huh?"

"Thank God for friends," I agreed, rolling my eyes. "I wonder what would happen if I was a loner and left to my own devices. I think I would have spontaneously combust by now. I'm _much _too dangerous to be left alone. With people, the worst that can happen is a concussion. Alone, I would probably have killed myself or something."

Great, I was rambling.

Edward didn't seem to notice-or, if he did, he didn't care. "Are concussions and head fractures a daily occurrence, or are you simply masochistic?"

"Daily occurrence," I assured him, laughing. Edward flashed me a smile as we turned onto Port Angeles' snazzy boardwalk. He hesitated.

"Are we friends?" he asked shyly. I almost laughed, but instead settled for a smile. Shy Edward was so much more appealing than cocky Edward. It made me melt.

"Yes, Edward," I said. "We're friends...sort of."

"Sort of?" he teased, visibly relieved.

I shrugged. "Well, if you would cut the whole flirting thing..."

He laughed the whole way to Angel Seafood's.

**

* * *

**

"I hate this song," Edward complained.

I poked his side with a fork. He jumped a little and yelped. "Justin Timberlake is a genius. Don't knock it till you've tried it."

"Justin Timberlake, a genius?" Edward scoffed. "He's a perv in the making."

I gritted my teeth and decided to ignore him. He was impossible. I stabbed at the buttery lobster and bit into it, closing my eyes enjoying the silky smoothness of the dish. There was nothing that could compare to this. When I opened my eyes Edward was smirking at me.

"Good, huh?" he said, smiling as he cut into the strange prawn thing he ordered. I still had no idea what it was, but it tasted great.

"Yeah," I answered, smiling as I took another bite out of the lobster that must've cost him dozens.

"Oh my _God_, Edward! I never thought I'd see you here!" My eyes widened. I recognized that voice. I had often heard it in the bathroom as one of the Gossip Girls. Opposite me Edward had a similarly terrified expression.

"Edward, honey, do you mind if we join you?"

I choked on my lobster.

**Woots! My longest chapter yet! Okay, so I know this chapter is supposed to be Edward's POV, but honestly, it wouldn't work out because Edward would be distracted either plotting Jasper and Emmett's demise or planning to ask Bella out. Next chapter will be Edward, and the chapter after that Edward again. Basically everything's in reverse.**

**And also, check out my profile for upcoming stories that might or might not happen. I am working on them at the same time, though. They just won't be published until I've finished the current stories. **


	14. More Than Words

_More Than Words  
Edward_

I hid a groan. A loud, frustrated groan at that. Here I was, making progress with Bella, and here came two girls intent on ruining all my efforts. Talk about bad timing.

I looked up to warily glance at Bella. To my utter relief she didn't seem angry...much, anyway. She just looked vaguely irritated and amused. I scoffed internally. Amused? There was nothing amusing about this situation. Rather, this was a hellhole. One hellhole I'd dug myself.

Bella kicked me under the table. I grabbed my shin with one hand, discreetly wincing. Thank God she was wearing flats, because if she wore killer stilettos like Rosalie did a section of my leg would probably have been gouged out by now. I cast a desperate glance at Bella, who looked at me with the amusement quickly winning over dominance in her face. I scowled. Traitor.

Here I was trying to leave a favourable impression on Bella, and almost succeeding and here came two airheads determined to foil me. It didn't particularly help that I had dated these two once. Well, it wasn't really my fault they thought a date meant eternal devotion, was it?

Jessica slipped in next to me, purring softly. I cringed away from her as Lauren slid in on the other side, leaving Bella trying to restrain her laughter. I flinched back into myself, trying to send a silent communication at Bella.

_Get me out of here NOW!_

She grinned mockingly at me and eased closer on the cheap vinyl booth, the irritation flickering in her eyes and fading completely. I grimaced. Damn. She was going to have some fun.

"Jessica, Lauren, what are you doing here?" she asked, nudging me softly with her toe. I looked at her and she gave me a pointed look that seemed to say, _play along. _But then again I wasn't an expert on breaking down facial expressions. Emmett was forever teasing me about it after I misinterpreted his looks during a twisted game of Scrabble.

"Oh, you know, just shopping," Lauren said airily, waving her hand vaguely. "And we got tired, and then we saw-"

"This restaurant and decided to come for food!" Jessica intervened hastily. I raised my eyebrows sceptically at Bella, who smirked at me. Oh, great. They were stalking me, apparently, judging Lauren's almost-slip of tongue.

Lauren cast Jessica a thankful look before turning to me. "So...Edward...what are you doing here at a restaurant, alone?" she asked in a nasal voice. I blinked before looking up. Bella _was _still there, wasn't she? Had everything been a hallucination? I stared blindly for a moment before catching Bella's eyes.

Well, now she looked pissed off.

I grimaced. "Jessica, Lauren...if you don't mind, I _am _here with Bella, if you haven't noticed yet."

As both girls turned to sneer at Bella I thought she mumbled something like, 'maybe because your eyes were so full of makeup' under her breath, but I might have been imagining it. She plastered a fake sweet smile on her face and smiled at Lauren. The pretense was so obvious I had to cover up my laugh with a loud cough. Bella sent a death glare my way for that. Feisty, that girl.

"Isabella," Lauren said, using her full name deliberately. "So, how does it feel going on a date with Forks' most eligible bachelor? Thrilling, isn't it?"

Jessica put on a sneer. "Don't forget, _Isabella_, you aren't the only one entitled to have a slice of Edward," Jessica warned maliciously. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes-_not_ appropriate-but honestly, who they made it sound like I was a piece of meat or something. Or rather, a pie. A delicious, tempting pie baked perfectly to a golden brown perfection with whole strawberries served inside with a nice dose of whipped cream that would linger on Bella's full lips as she swallowed the pie, her mouth closing around it in a 'O'...I shook my head vigorously to get my mind out of the gutter. Thankfully nobody noticed my little digression.

"Oh, Lauren, Jessica, I'm terrified. What are you two going to do if I did go out with Edward, repeatedly?" Bella asked politely. I jumped a little. The little beast in me called Junior started jumping up and down in excitement. _Yes! Yes! Yes! _I grimaced. _You idiot, she was being sarcastic. _

Lauren huffed a little. "Whatever, Swan. Just watch your back."

"Aw, thanks for the advice!" Bella said cheerfully. "How nice of you, Lauren."

Jessica let out a puff of frustration and got up and stomped off, rather ungracefully in fact. Lauren leered a bit at me, shooting a seductive smile my way and followed suit, her heels clacking on the floor as she tried her best to make her hips sway. God, if I ever thought that girl could replace what Esme felt for me, I must have been drugged.

Once they were gone I let out a soft sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you, God, for getting rid of them."

"You should be thanking me," Bella said haughtily. "I'm the one who got rid of them. If you were here alone they would probably have given you a lap dance or something equally mortifying."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Are we always going to have this love-hate relationship?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," Bella sniffed. I grinned.

"I'm sure you don't," I teased back, watching her smirk while spearing her lobster. I pitied the poor thing. "You know, you don't really have to take it out on your food."

"Would you prefer to have me stab this fork in your hand instead?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Um, no," I replied, wincing.

"Well then, that solves the problem."

I laughed as she changed the topic hastily.

.xXx.

Dinner progressed smoothly, with no awkwardness between us. It made me wonder how the electricity between us had been so awkward before. Sure, the same energy was still there, but it was a comfortable spark, like we'd known each other forever. It certainly seemed that way now, with our small challenge of random quotes.

"There's no I in team," Bella said triumphantly. "There is a 'me', though, if you jumble the word up."

"That's lame. Check this out-Never say things couldn't get any worse, because God takes that as a personal challenge," I shot back. Bella started laughing.

"That's a good one," Bella conceded. I bowed in mock arrogance and she giggled, poking my ribs. I cringed away from her as we arrived at her old truck. I stopped suddenly, Bella colliding into me.

"Ouch!" she complained. "Remind me never to-what's wrong?"

"Your tyres are slashed," I said, staring at them. She stopped rubbing her shoulder and gaped at the tyres.

"Oh my God..." she breathed, going over to the truck and running her hand over the gaping slashes in the rubber. I checked the tyres on the other side. Those were slashed too.

"Who would do this?" I asked, feeling my stomach clench. Imagining someone deliberately trying to harm Bella, to intimidate her...it was hard to imagine, yet the proof was right in front of me.

It had to be a girl. No boy would do this to her.

Bella shrugged, seemingly nonchalantly, but I could see the hurt in her that she was fighting to hold down. "I don't know," she mumbled before grinning weakly. "I guess we'll have to find a way to get back, huh?"

"I could call Alice," I suggested, patting my pockets before groaning loudly. "Oh, no. My phone's at home charging." I looked sheepishly at Bella, who started to laugh at my face. "What?"

"You," she giggled. "You look so guilty."

"I feel guilty," I grumbled. She rolled her eyes at me, and I smirked at her. "We could call a cab," I suggested.

"With what?" she countered. "There isn't a pay phone here for miles, and besides, I don't have any spare change."

I glared at her. "Well, do _you_ have any better ideas, Miss Picky?"

She smiled at me and I softened at her smile. Damn it, she could do anything to me and I would crumble under her. "We could walk," she suggested. "I don't want you spending any unnecessary cash on me. I'll just ask Charlie to call a tow truck."

By the look on her face I could tell she wasn't going to give in anytime soon. I sighed heavily. "Okay, but just so you know, if I have a coronary, I'm blaming you."

Who was I kidding? I couldn't blame Bella Swan for anything if my life depended on it.

Bella smiled. "I'll take my chances."

I smiled back at her before moving off along the road, stopping after a few steps and waiting for Bella to follow me. She laughed softly, and followed me without one glance back at the ruined truck.

Oh, well. Maybe now she would let me buy her a car.

"It's pretty dark now," Bella commented, looking up at the sky. I looked up as well, smiling at the dark sky with tiny glowing stars popping out all over. It was strangely clear today, so much so that the stars looked like tiny sparkling buttons on a sea of velvet.

"Want me to lighten it up for you?" I asked seriously. She started laughing at me.

"No," she answered softly. "I think its fine just now. You can't see the stars in the light."

I laughed softly at that, not because it sounded just so cheesy, but because I honestly didn't believe that. You _could _see the stars in the light sometimes; you just had to strain your eyes a little. But just to humour Bella, I played along. "Yeah, I suppose so."

"Just like a typical boy to answer with a 'yeah'," she teased, poking my side. I caught her hand and let it fall, our hands intertwined. She looked at it briefly before smiling and looking straight ahead. It was a great moment.

But then _of course _the ghosts of my past had to come and haunt me.

Jeez, I could never catch a break.

**No, guys, I'm not dead yet. Real life's been catching up with me. Karma's a bitch. Exam week starts tomorrow. On a brighter side, September holidays begin in two weeks, so I'll have one week to write my brains out. I'm looking forward to that. My other stories _will_ be updated eventually when I get a few minutes to write whatever I can, but for now everything's going to be moving at snail speed. Mostly because I'm operating on adrenaline alone. **

**ANYWAY. I got 33 reviews for chapter 13! *hyperventilates* I love you guys. I think that's the most I've ever gotten in one chapter. Shall we go for 35 this chapter? I accept anonymous reviews, so PLEASE review! I grin like a idiot everytime I see the reviews. **


	15. Untitled

**A/N: **I know, I know. I haven't updated for aged. RL stinks, ya' know? Stupid procrastination too. Oh, and I finally bought the Sims 3. Yes, I was having fun playing God. I suck. You guys rock.

A side note-yes, the chapter IS titled Untitled.

Bella  
Untitled

"Hey there, pretty lady," a nasal voice said from the shadows. I stepped back and cringed into Edward in surprise. He gritted his teeth and grabbed my wrist, sort of hovering over me protectively.

A man materialized from the shadows, his tall, lanky frame sticking out beneath the ill-fitting clothes. _Has he ever heard of shaving? _I swallowed and stepped back, dragging Edward with me. I watched as his face turned surprised.

"Edward! Nice to see you again," he sneered, his face twisting in a scowl. "So, you've managed another catch, huh? I would've thought you'd stick closer to your momma after what happened the last time." When Edward didn't answer he laughed. "No snappy comeback? I'm disappointed. Didn't your momma teach you any manners?"

"She's not my momma," Edward snarled finally, stepping back. "She's my _mother. _Cut the trash talk, Zack."

I blinked. Edward _knew_ this freako?

"So the prodigy speaks," Zack said with mock applause. "Tell me, Edward, how did you manage this one? Did she fall and crack her head?"

"Yeah, _Eddy_. Tell us," another man said, appearing from the other side. We stepped back again as footsteps echoed. This man was taller than Zack, and had a disgusting goatee. "Did you finally settle down?"

"Get lost," Edward growled. "You're not welcome."

"Ah, but you're in _our _lot now," Zack said. "Says something, doesn't it?"

"Shoot," Edward muttered softly, for my ears only. "I forgot about the territories."

"Territories?" I asked, frightened. "Edward, what are you talking about?"

He shushed me and pushed me back so that I was half hidden behind him. I wanted to tell him I didn't particularly like the idea of having him in front either, but I decided he would probably ignore me anyway. Further ahead darkness shifted and another shadow melted from the darkness.

"Edward! What a nice surprise," another voice said.

I groaned. How many were there anyway?

"Shouldn't we run?" I asked urgently. "Scram, call for the police, scream? Edward, I think we should leave. Now."

"No," he answered quietly. "They'll just follow us."

This was bad. Very bad. Karma was getting back at me. I knew Forks seemed too good to be true.

But then again, if I was in Phoenix I would probably have been murdered by now.

Edward shoved me backwards gently and I felt my back touch something cold and hard-the lamp post. We were cornered. Great.

"Come on, Eddy boy," the goatee man said, leering at me. I flinched under his stare. "Don't you know it's good to share?"

I swallowed and stepped back until I could feel the cold metal of the lamp post digging into my back so sharply it hurt. Edward pressed himself to me. I wondered briefly how these-for a lack of a better word-_assholes _knew Edward. I couldn't begin to imagine Edward associating with these people.

Although, when one took Edward's, ah, flirty disposition into consideration it _did _seem a bit possible.

"Men, I'd be very pleased if you let me and Bella go," Edward said calmly. I wondered at his coolness. I was screaming internally. It must be a genetic thing. Carlisle seemed pretty indifferent to me too.

"Bella," The third voice said. The third man stepped in front and smiled politely at Edward. His face seemed the most kind, but his mouth was twisted in an ugly smirk. "Nice name, beautiful."

I grimaced. "Please, just let us go," Edward said, his voice steady. I clutched his hand desperately. "Shh," he whispered to me. I swallowed back the frightened lump choking my throat and braced myself for their answer.

"I'm sorry, but that won't be possible," the man said politely. The other two snickered and came closer. The last thing I saw was Edward whirling towards me before something hard hit me and everything went black.

.xXx.

_Great work, Bella. Go out with the first guy that cons you with sweet talk and get strapped to something hard with absolutely no idea where said guy is. _

I squeezed my eyes shut, taking note of the dull pounding at the back of my head. It was a little comforting, really. I remembered clearly everything that had happened, but trying to remember the hit to my head was like trying to move a mountain.

The air was cold against my skin. I wiggled my toes experimentally; they were numb. I felt more than heard the rumble of creaky wheels below, rattling the entire bed I was on. A flicker of panic leapt at me.

_Am I in a train?_

I hesitated there, wondering if I dared to open my eyes. After all, if the men were still lurking around, I really did _not _want them to know I was awake. I had read way too many books to know that letting them know you're conscious is mistake number 1.

But I really had to know where I was. I cracked one eyelid open a fraction of an inch and peered around. The first thing I sensed was a figure lying next to me radiating heat. I cringed away from it before recognizing Edward's scent. The second thing I noticed was the room was black. As in, pitch black. I couldn't see anything except for blackness in blackness. I swore silently. I hated darkness.

I could feel whatever I was lying down on shaking beneath me. Add that to the cold metalness of it, and I was horribly uncomfortable. I opened my eyes slowly, fairly sure that if the nasty freakos from Port Angeles were here then they would at least light a candle or something.

Something tight was constricting the blood flow to my legs and hands. I tugged slightly and was met with resistance. Great. So I was tied up to. I felt like an extra in a horror movie.

Edward shifted next to me, his face burying into my hair. I stiffened immediately, liking the sensation _way _too much. "God, you're turning into such a girl," I muttered furiously, my heart racing.

"Bella?" he mumbled lazily suddenly. I jumped slightly at the sound. "Stop panicking."

I pinched his side violently. "You pig!" I blurted out. "I've been frightened to death and you were _sleeping_?"

"I was unconscious," he corrected. "There's a difference."

I gritted my teeth and willed myself not to kill him. _Happy thoughts, Bella, happy thoughts. _

_"_Okay_, _Mr Smarty-pants," I said, acutely aware that I sounded like a little kid, "Where the freaking hell are we now? And why the heck do

I think this has something to do with your good-for-nothing friends?"

"They're not my friends," Edward grumbled back. "They're just a bunch of low-lifers I met while slumming."

I snorted silently and raised my eyebrows, even though he couldn't see it. "Why do I feel that there's a lot more to this story?"

Edward sighed. "You're not going to give up, are you?" he asked. He seemed to feel the _are-you-kidding _vibe rolling off me in waves, because he groaned and muttered something under his breath I didn't hear on account of the loud rattling. The train must be old. "I'm not going to tell you."

I paused. "_Why_?"

"It's not your business," he snapped.

I bit my lip, considering his general bitchiness. "What if I told you my story too?"

"You already told me your story," he replied, sounding a little regretful at his outburst. _Good._

"Not the whole thing," I mumbled.

Edward considered it for a while before answering. "Okay," he said cautiously, his curiousity winning over his _no-way_ urges.

I sighed.

"You know how I told you my sister was killed? Um, I didn't really tell you the whole story."

"Big surprise," he mumbled. I decided to ignore it.

"When my sister died, I sort of...lost it. My mother never really cared about Renesmee, and she made it very clear I wasn't supposed to mention our old life in Forks. Then she got remarried and Charlie and Nessie just sort of faded into the background." I paused, staring at a particularly dark shadow. "I guess that's when I went nuts. I started dating a lot of guys-but no, I never did anything scandalous like making out on the first date. I do have my morals. But girls can be pretty catty, and a lot of horrible rumors started spreading. I never really cared, though."

Edward was silent, and I started to panic. He wasn't the judgemental type, wasn't he? _Wasn't he?_

"You're lucky," he said finally.

_Excuse me?_

He must have sensed the incredulity radiating in waves from me, because he hastily continued speaking in case I decided to finish what the kidnappers' hadn't. "It's a long story, Bella."

"We have time," I answered tightly, mentally thinking about the state we were in and how unconcerned I was about that. It made me feel somewhat more relieved that Edward was with me. It was slightly ridiculous. Technically I should have felt a lot more safer with _Emmett _around but hey, Edward gave me that tingly feeling. Not to mention most of the times I spent with him were either 'whoa, he looks friggin' awesome' moments or 'hubba hubba' moments.

Needless to say the 'hubba hubba' moments were the ones where I was just stunned speechless.

Edward sighed. "My parents died when I was a kid, but it wasn't just because of the fire. The fire started in their bedroom."

I stared at him cluelessly. He groaned in exasperation. "Their _bedroom_, Bella! If it started in the goddamn kitchen it could've been explained by all that gas in there but it started in their bedroom where there wasn't even a lamp except for that lousy ceiling shit! There was no way the fire could've started accidentally."

"So you're saying...it was arson?"

I didn't mean to sound doubting-really, I didn't. It was just that I never thought of _arson _as something that would actually happen. Sure I read about it in papers and books, but it was one of those _it-won't-happen-to-me _things. And now I was finding out Edward's parents were victims of an arson. It was all a little hard to take in.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he asked, his voice rough and angry.

Truth or lie?

I made a decision pretty quickly.

"No."

He grunted and turned away as though he had expected that. "Can't blame you. It's like a scene out of a book."

"No shit."

"It's true, though."

"Whatever you say."

Edward turned to look at me. "Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we escape now?"

"Okay."


	16. Run

Run

Edward

I couldn't really blame Bella for not believing my sob story. It was hard for even me to believe, and I was there. Still, I couldn't help but feel a little hurt that she didn't trust me. I thought we had made some progress with the whole friendship/trust issue. Apparently I was mistaken.

"Edward?" Bella asked slowly. "How are we going to get out?"

I inhaled deeply, trying not to snap at her. It wasn't her fault we were stuck in this mess. It was mine, if anything. I had forgotten about the territories. I snorted softly. The territories. Hah. It sounded like a scene from a bad mafia movie. They weren't any brand of organized crime. Zack and his friends were street thugs. Thugs that could possibly kill us, but thugs all the same, lacking any dignity.

"Maybe we should start by finding out where exactly we're being held in?" I suggested, trying not to sound amused. I could almost feel Bella roll her eyes in the dark. I shifted slightly and almost sighed when I realized I was strapped to some metallic thing with Velcro. _Velcro. _How stupid could these guys get? Either they were morons or they didn't expect us to wake up.

Which really boiled down to the same thing, when it came right down to it. They were sitll morons either way.

I slid off the metal bed-like thing after struggling for a while with the straps that reminded me horribly of asylums and hospitals. Seperating Velcro in the dark was a tougher job than I had imagined.

"Oof," I grunted, sliding down the bed as the train gave a particularly violent rattle. "Okay, let's hit the road."

I carefully stepped forward, my hands stretched forward to grab a hold of whatever was closest to me. I felt Bella grip the back of my shirt as I fumbled in the dark. After what seemed like an eternity, I found something that _felt _like a light switch. Praying it was a light switch and not one of those horror movie switchs that would make the floor fall away or something equally ridiculous, I clicked it.

"Thank _God_," Bella mumbled, letting go of my shirt as the little room was flooded with a dim light. I glanced upwards and saw the tiny electric bulb glowing. I frowned. It looked like it was about to blow any second.

"All right, so where are we?" I muttered, looking around the room. If our light source was about to blow, I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

I moved over to the walls, running my hands over the smooth walls. "This doesn't seem to be a particularly modern train," I noted, listening to the loud rattling. If anything it was the type of train I would usually be terrified to set foot into. It was creaky, unreliable and altogether frightening.

"Right," I mumbled. "If we were in a passenger train there should be a door somewhere..."

"I don't think we're going to find any door anywhere," Bella said suddenly. I turned to look at her curiously. She gazed back at me steadily, pressing her right ear up against a wall. "I think we're in a freight train."

"Fuck," I mumbled, the panic surfacing suddenly. I had done enough research on trains thanks to my train-watching phase to know about freight trains. "You're right. We're dead."

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Didn't you ever pay attention in school? We're either in a boxcar or a modern freight train, and I seriously doubt it's the latter, because come on. What kind of modern sounds like this?" I gestured wildly at nothing in particular, meaning the loud rattlnig of wheels below us.

"So we're in a boxcar. Why are we dead then?"

"Because boxcars use side doors to load the cargo. I honestly don't think _they_'_re _that stupid tp leave the doors open." I didn't need to explain who _they _were. She knew.

Bella bit her lip. "We should try anyway. Don't go all negative on me, Cullen," she joked feebly.

I frowned, wishing I had paid more attention during class. "All right," I agreed. "Let's try."

At that very moment the light bulb flickered threateningly. We glanced upwards at the same time before hurrying to try sliding the doors open. Just like I thought, none of them were unlocked, and even if they were, what were we going to do? Jump out of a train going at ninety miles per hour?

"Great," I groaned, slumping onto the ground, the reality of our situation settling in. I looked at Bella, who was still diligently trying open the doors I hadn't covered. I considered telling her it was no use, but then she would get mad and call me a pessimist.

Think, Edward, think. What did that old bald guy say about boxcars other than the fact that they belonged in a museum?

_Now, Edward, what did I just say? You weren't listening? Well, that's just like you, isn't it? I said the boxcar is versatile and can carry most loads, because boxcars have side doors and some include-_

God, I was an idiot.

I hopped up and ran to the end of the boxcar, feeling around for something, _anything_ that indicated it might slide open. Bella watched openmouthed before coming over to help me frantically look for a latch. If this freight train just _had _to be one without end doors, we were doomed.

My right hand found a latch.

Bella gasped.

"Please let this work," I mumbled, twisting it down and pulling it sideways.

The door opened noisily. The sudden air almost swept me off my feet, but I planted my feet firmly apart and pulled the door back. Bella stood behind me, pulling along with me.

Once the door was open Bella stood next to me, one hand holding the door frame and the other holding my hand tightly. "How are we going to get out?" she asked nervously. _My thoughts exactly. _

"We'll wait until the train nears a hill, then jump," I said with more conviction than I really had.

It didn't take long for the train to near a hill. I could hear the rattling slow, and once I was sure that the train was going as slowly as it would I squeezed Bella's hand. I could almost feel the nervousness radiating off her. "One...two...three!"

~C~

It was dawn.

Which, essentially, was a horrible thing, because the last time I had seen the sky it was night. Meaning a lot of people would be terrified out of their wits right now. I didn't mention this to Bella, firstly because I knew she would panic, and secondly because I had no idea how to bring it up. _Oh, and Bella, have you realized we've been gone for over six hours now?_

Nope, not a good idea.

"My back hurts," I complained suddenly.

Bella rolled her eyes at me. "Your problem, not mine."

Jeesh. I didn't even get any sympathy. She _did _indirectly cause my back injury.

After jumping out of the train, we had both somehow survived, albeit with a few injuries. Bella was limping with a sore ankle, and my back hurt like hell on account of Bella toppling over me, which was why she got off with an ankle injury and I was bent over like the Hunchback of Notre Dame with a back that throbbed horribly.

We had hiked through forest and were now on a trail, which I hoped would give us a hint of where to go. I only hoped it wasn't a deer trail like Bella thought, or we were doomed to wander around in circles. I had voiced this concern out to Bella. Her only response was to glare at me and tell me to start thinking positively. Something to do with thoughts affecting actions. Whatever.

"I think we're going in circles," I said presently.

"No we're not," Bella answered distractedly.

"How can you be so sure? All the trees look the same to me," I said, squinting at a particularly strange-looking tree before realizing it looked like an owl.

Bella pointed to something in the distance. "Look!"

I squinted over the trees, trying to make out what she was pointing at. It took me a moment to comprehend. Then I saw it-thick smoke was clearly visible from behind the trees, spiraling upwards. Bella smiled at me brilliantly. I grinned back at her as we started to jog towards the smoke.

After a while we could hear waves crashing, and I realized we were probably close to La Push. I wasn't sure about the time, but my feet were sore and we had taken several periodical breaks already.

At least, I _hoped _we were close to La Push, and not some other beach.

The trees cleared out abruptly after a few minutes, and I realized with some relief that it _was _La Push we were at. Bella squealed very girlishly, reminding me of Alice, and basically attacked me. I staggered backwards, laughing as she squeezed me to death.

"We're back! We're back!" she shrieked. I didn't have the heart to tell her my back was aching and I couldn't possibly hold her up without falling. She would probably slap me.

"Yes," I said, grinning at her. "We're back." My grin grew wider. "We also have to decide how long we've been gone," I added. Bella looked at me in confusion and I pointed into the far off distance.

Flashlights were bobbing around, fairly close to the water. Over the crash of waves the sound of shouting voices was clearly audible. Bella turned to me, her face pale. "Is that..."

I nodded enthusiastically. "We have a search party."

**A/N: **My flu's bugging the crap outta me. I'm sure me eating popcorn while reading fics doesn't help. Anyway, for some reason I have a Twitter, so you can drop by over there for updates on how much progress I'm going on my stories.


	17. Paalam

Okay, so here's the deal. I could go all emo and shit, or I could be postive about this. I choose to take the latter path, mainly because going emo will result in horrible consequences.

I'm not sure if many of you know, but I am leaving Fanfiction. This is partly due to the fuckery going on-thank the Literate Union for that-and also because I just cannot stand the utter shit FFn is becoming.

Okay. I'm disgusting myself.

I know you probably want an update-hell, you're probably screaming at me for giving up on my stories. I _will _continue these stories. If not tomorrow, next week. If not next week, next month. I'm not going to stop writing, mostly because I'll die if that happened. Meanwhile, I'll still be on fanfiction dot net. I'll be answering to Pms, reviews and whatnot. I just won't be writing, because I don't want the morons that run this site to pull down my stories permanently.

Worst case scenario, I'll be banned. If this happens, I'm going to return with a vengeance and wreck utter havoc on the fandom, simply because I can. Many fantastic stories have been pulled because of the no-smut rule, and honestly, petitioning to the staff of fanfiction dot net isn't going to work. You need to petition to the authors for that.

You can follow me on Twitter if I'm banned, or just watch out on Twilight blogs such as the Midnight Eclipse. If I'm banned, I'll announce my return on these two platforms.

In the meantime, you can check my profile every first of the month. I'll update it regularly on where I'm writing, and you can track my movement through there. Also, do visit my profile and my last contribution to the fandom-The Last Contribution. It might make you want to gouge your eyes out, though, so be prepared.

Here's to a good year ahead.

-Dee


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